


It's all Blue in the End.

by Elizabesutonic



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Altean! Lance, Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Galra Keith (Voltron), I'm Bad At Tagging, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, M/M, Multi, Other, Pining Keith (Voltron), Please bare with my tags, Semi-canonverse, Yaoi, hunk is still my sweet boy, i'll note it if any chapters are nsfwish, it may get naughty but i'm not sure, klangst, lots of klangst, original characters kind of?, pidge is smarter than all of them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2018-09-21 07:32:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 50,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9538025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elizabesutonic/pseuds/Elizabesutonic
Summary: Altean Lance AU!   I'm sticking with the basic premise of the amazingly written story Dreamworks (tm) has done with fun tweaks to add to my Altean Lance obsession.  Basically, Lance and Allura are twins, Lance is still the Blue Paladin, but 10,000 years ago, he, Zarkon, Hadrian, Matoria and Keita were all friends... until Zarkon betrays them all.  When Lance wakes up in his pod, he is greeted by his Sister, Coran, the Paladin's that replaced his friends and learns that not only has Zarkon survived... everyone he's ever loved has died.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I don't usually write AU's even though I get a handful of requests but this one just... I can't seem to stop it. This was inspired by many beautiful posts on Tumblr (the artists, the head canons, the beautiful people there and in this fandom so amazing)and of course... was desperately fed by the fact that Lance with Altean ears is just perfect. 
> 
>  
> 
> This is a tiny prologue with a proper chapter to follow soon! <3

“You have to go! Son! Lachlan, listen to me! Allura is safe, Coran is with her and Ha--”

“Father. I cannot. She’s - Keita, she is not back yet.”

“If we are ever to defeat Zarkon you know what we must do; Scatter the Lions. Just as I told Allura I am hopeful to see you both soon and reunite the Paladin’s of Voltron to defeat him. Until that time however, you have to join your sister. I have already sent away the Blue Lion. The Yellow and Green have also been hidden away for safekeeping.”

Lachlan looked up from the glowing control panel and all the screaming alarms, “You sent away Azu? This plan is stupid, and you know it. Father we must make our stand! You can pilot the Black Lion, recall Hadrian and Matoria! With Keita we can form Voltron and defeat Zarkon!”

“Lance!”

Lachlan flinched slightly at the raised tone in his father’s voice, he never used his self-given nick-name, never raised his voice, it was startling, “He cannot go unchallenged, Father.”

“My son… I-”

Another alarm sounded, red warning lights emitted from all around them and the holographic screen split the air above them just as an array of plasma canon fire hit the particle barrier around the castle. The screen was a brilliant blue for a second while the connection linked up, and then the blue was gone and all Lance saw was black, red and purple. “Zarkon,” he growled, stepping in front of his father, “Decide to stop hiding and face me?”

“You flatter yourself, Lance. I have no use for you, only your lion, and mine. Where is it, Alfor?”

Lance glared at the screen, and even through the bombardment of the castle, his father stood tall and stoic as he answered their attacker, “Zarkon, you are no longer the Paladin of the Black Lion. It is far from your reach, all the Lion’s are.”

Zarkon laughed darkly and Lance felt a sickness build in his stomach as that familiar laugh was twisted into something horrible. “Not all the Lion’s Alfor…” Zarkon said slowly. The growing knot in Lance’s stomach flipped and tightened as he watched Zarkon reached to a space off screen and pulled an Altean into view. Her silver hair was matted in dirt and blood, and her naturally dark skin was bruised as though she had been hit in the jaw. Lance's blue eyes widened as he recognized the fellow Altean, his fellow Paladin. Zarkon chucked darkly, “As you can see, I have one Lion already.”

“Keita! Father he has Keita!” Lance shouted over the bombardment of the particle barrier around them. He stumbled toward the floating screen, having a hard time keeping his footing as he tried to reason with the dark ex-Paladin, “Do not hurt her, Zarkon. Please, we are friends.”

“No, Lance. We have never been friends. You were my leg, Keita my arm, I am sure you understand my point; you can either continue to be of use to me, or die so I can find another.”

“Lance will never surrender to you!” Keita snarled, but Zarkon grabbed her by the throat and squeezed, she choked out a gasp.

Lance’s father was speaking, but Lance couldn’t hear him. His pointed ears only honed in to the wheezing breaths of the captured Red Paladin. She was out of her armor, most likely having been sent by his father to hide away the Red Lion, and she had been captured. By what they thought was a friend, by their leader, by Galra scum. She was beginning to lose her colour as she lost oxygen, “Listen to me. Let her go, Zarkon.”

“Only if you give me what I want, Lance. Bring me the Lions, and I will let her live.”

“I cannot allow that. You cannot have the Lions” Alfor spoke loudly, his voice booming over the alarms. He reached out toward the control console of the bridge and ran his hand over the glowing globes that controlled the castle. The particle barrier started to launch a counter attack against Zarkon's ship and under the cover Alfor moved too a second panel. A pod rose up feet from Lance, the barrier slid open and before Lance could protest, his father had him by a fist full of his hated royal robes.

“No, father! Keita! Zarkon you Galra bastard! Let her go!”

“Lance!”

“So be it, you can both be replaced…”

The last thing he saw before he was pushed down into the pod, was his father punching in a set of coordinates into the castle, the bombardment of plasma blasts, Zarkon’s luminescent purple eyes deepening in color and Keita, gasping for breath and telling Lance to… he couldn’t hear her. And everything went dark 


	2. The Rise of Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance has woken up to find that 10,000 years have passed since he saw Zarkon with his hand around Keita's throat. He has lost his fellow Paladin's, his father, but not the monster responsible for the destruction of his entire race and the death of the Paladin he loved. Zarkon lives. The Lions are scattered, and their are four round eared aliens asking him questions that he doesn't exactly understand. But at least they brought him back Blue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, wow. Thank you so much for the kudo's, hits, and comments just in my silly prologue!! I hope I don't disappoint! However, I am always open to criticism, suggestions, corrections (cause goodness knows my proofing is lacking to say the least), love, hate, all welcome and honestly appreciated!! <3 Again, I hope I don't disappoint!! I'll post another chapter soooooooon <3

‘And then I’d huuuuuah! Followed by a huh huah whah!’

Coran…?

‘The Black Paladin requires a born leader…-iro will pilot the Black Lion.’

Allura…

‘Inquisitive nature…Pidge… Kind… as the leg of Voltron…. The Red Lion…

…..

Allura! It was Allura. And Coran. Who was she talking too? Why hadn’t he woken up yet? The Red Lion? Keita… Zarkon!

“Whoa, whoa, whoa what’s happening? Another pod? Is it another alien? I mean, duh, of course it’s another alien. Is it another one of you? Is it good, or is it bad? Do you know them? Holy crow it’s opening, it’s opening!”

“Calm down, Hunk.”

The pod creaked as the reanimation process completed its cycle and the barrier slid up exposing him to the stale air of the pod stasis room. Lance’s eyes slowly opened, blue eyes with pink pupils blinked at the light. He reached out of his stasis pod and lost his footing. A large dark skinned teenager and a smaller strawberry blonde kid with glasses caught him as he fell, “Hey, hey mister, you okay?”

“Keita… Zarkon…” Lance shook his head slowly and tried to avoid the pounding headache that was building behind his eyes.

“You okay there pointy eared guy?” the larger of the two asked as he used big hands to help Lance to his feet.

“Lachlan!”

Lance blinked hard, and as his sensitive ears became more in tune with his surroundings, he saw her. Allura. His twin. And Coran. His lips split into an unconscious smile as he stumbled from the two alien’s hold on him to his sister. Allura was before him within a sichnant. She collapsed against him in a hug. She was shaking as though she wanted to cry, but Allura pushed herself away from Lance before he could wrap his arms around her in confort. She muttered an apology and pressed her forehead gently to his in a customary Altean greeting. Just to add to Lance’s already confused mind. Lance tried not to show his disappointment at his sister’s distance from him, but he supposed her being same as she was, wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. She was a leader. He was a Paladin. Being twins didn’t matter. Coran on the other hand grabbed him by the shoulders and crushed him in a hug that made Lance call ‘untakl’.

“Princess! Your brother is safe. We aren’t alone after all! And you thought we would have to find another Blue Paladin.”

“Another Paladin?” Lance asked, after taking a few ticks to catch his breath, “Where is father? Allurie, what happened, how long have we been in those pods?” he continued his sequence of questions, doing everything within his will power to not automatically jump to where Zarkon was, or Keita. He had to find Keita.

Allura stepped to the side and pointed toward the console in the middle of the pod stasis room, “It has been… Please see for yourself, Lachlan.” His smile was gone as he walked over to the monitors. His touch brought up everything he wanted to know in running lines of data. “This… it’s not right… is it? Allura… Coran it’s… the castle must be malfunctioning?”

The smaller alien popped up from behind the console, “Hello, I’m Pidge. That’s Hunk. You’re Prince Lachlan?”

Lance kind of gaped as he continued to read the castles monitoring reports of the last 10,000 years, “Yeah… what? Call me, Lance.”

“Nice to meet you, Lance.”

He was nodding, but not exactly listening.

“Oh wow, your highness, your muchness, your... your… is that a menu?”

“A what?” Lance asked, prying his eyes away the screens to look at the dark skinned bulky teen, “Hasn’t she fed you? Ten thousand years and she’s still not the best hostess. Don’t mind her, it’s not her fault.” Lance said with a smile must to his sisters annoyed frown. He reached out and tapped the edge of the holographic screen minimizing it before he pushed one of the many metallic buttons on the dash before him. A floating plate of Lance’s not exactly favourite green space goop appeared and he offered it to the teen. “Here you go, buddy. Where have you travelled from?”

Hunk reached out and took a bite of the goop, made a face, but continued to eat it, “Oh crazy story. Pidge, Keith and I were all at the Garrison. You know, back on Earth. Well I mean. Keith wasn’t anymore, he had been suspended because well… he doesn’t do subtle well. Anyway! Pidge was hiding out on the roof of the Garrison doing tech/spy stuff and I followed because when he’s up there he usually has snacks. Like good snacks. Homemade snacks. And that was when we saw that big purple ship crash-land in the desert and we followed it. Much to my protest by the way-”

“Hunk.” The oldest of the group with a interesting hair style said softly.

“-What? Didn’t I Pidge? I said… well it apparently doesn’t matter what I said. We went to check it out, found out they had Shiro all tied down to a gurney, he had been missing for over a year and then Keith showed up with all of these explosions and bam! We save Shiro. And bam! We outrun the Garrison professors and security and learn about this element and Lion lore and-”

“Wait, a Lion? On Earth? That is on the complete opposite side of the Galaxy. Further. How did it…” Lance paused, taking in the continuous words of Hunk’s recollection, “Hunk. Can I call you that? How did you, Pidge, Keith and…”

“Shiro.” The oldest of the alien group said, raising a cybernetic arm out in greeting. Lance arched a brow in confusion, but reached out and took the metal hand in an awkward shake he assumed was an ‘Earth’ custom.

“Shiro,” Lance repeated, “How exactly did you get here?”

Hunk seemed to be a bit relieved that he no longer had to talk about what had happened to them. He finished the plate of goop and moved over to Pidge who was itching to touch the console but was stopping himself.

“I found a Robotic Lion in the desert… it…” the black haired, dark eyed teen spoke up suddenly to Lance’s left. Lance turned and tried not to shoot a glare at the brooding fourth member of Earthlings. “It was like it was calling to me, drawing me out there.”

“Sure it was the Lion that was calling you out to this desert?” Lance asked, arms crossing over his chest as he stared.

Keith’s eyes narrowed and he unconsciously mirrored Lance’s stance, “Yes. Once Hunk nailed down the exact coordinates with Pidge’s tech we found the cave with all of this Lion art sketched and carved into the walls. The rest is a bit of a blur. We all must have touched carvings at the same time or something because the ground gave out beneath us and we landed in a cavern pool and there it was.”

“A Robotic Lion!” Pidge cut in, “I have never seen technology like it before. It was protected by this force field and I tried to get it to open but it wouldn’t. So we all touched it again, like in the cave above and it went down. And well… it brought us here after fighting off this HUGE alien ship and brought us through a worm hole and… well… yeah. Pretty cool huh?”

“The castle’s temperature control may be off, Coran and I can fix that… So you found a Lion with all of you combined because… pretty hair here sensed it?”

“It was a team effort.” Shiro said, with a serious stare that lapsed into a soft smile, “And who wouldn’t want to fly into space in a Blue Lion.”

“Blue?” Lance asked, looking up from the fitted glare he had on Keith to Allura, “She’s here? Azu is here?”

Allura nodded, and Lance pushed past the miffed four from Earth down the hall, “Lachlan! Wait!” he heard his twin call after him but Lance didn’t listen. His Lion was here. She came back to him. “Blue!” he yelled as he skidded to a halt at the base of the castle steps. Blue’s yellow eyes lit up as soon as he was in view and she arched up in a loud roar, tail whipping back and forth as she almost seemed to jump into a playful bow. Metallic pieces creaking and scraping as she did. Blue brought her house size head down to the marble pavement that had been built up around the castle over the centuries and Lance brought his hands up to run them over the smooth surface of her chin. Lance felt tears sting his eyes as her deep purr entered his mind, “Blue… Hey there Beautiful. I missed you.” She pushed forward against his hands softly, but the motion forced Lance back a few feet, “All of our friends, Azu… They are gone, girl. And even if they survived… there is no way they would still be alive.” He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the cold metal, a realization hitting him, “Oh, Blue. You have been all alone for thousands of years. I’m so sorry, pretty girl.” The purrs intensified, followed by one more nudge before Blue pushed herself back up on her haunches to sit as the other Paladin’s walked down the castle steps.

“Lachlan…” Allura said softly as she reached up to place a hand on her brother’s shoulder, “Will you help the other Paladin’s find their Lions? I have located the Yellow and the Green, but I cannot find the Red.”

“We could really use your help, Lance.” Shiro said, “Your help and your experience to battle Zarkon.”

Lance’s eyes narrowed at the same time Blue let out a metallic growl at the name. He still couldn’t fathom how Zarkon had survived all these centuries, but one problem at a time, “Let’s get you your Lions first.”

“Alright. Princess,” Shiro said, looking from Lance to his twin, “Where is that first Lion?”

“It would be better if we split you up and collect the two I found as quickly as possible. Coran is setting up one of the castles shuttles. Pidge and Shiro, you will go after the Green Lion. Lachlan-”

“Allura… It may be melodramatic, but don’t call me Lachlan. He died 10,000 years ago with Father, and with… call me Lance, okay?”

Allura nodded, “Lance, take Hunk in Blue to find the Yellow Lion.”

Lance nodded and reached out to gently nudge Hunk in the shoulder with his knuckles, “You ready their big guy?”

Hunk nodded quickly, but he had a nervous, almost nauseated look on his face. Lance smiled, “I’m the second best pilot in the Altean – well I guess I am the best now…” Lance’s smile faulted for a moment, but he shook his head. They had to band together, form Voltron and defeat Zarkon for good. “So, needless to say, you’re in good hands.” Lance grinned, “Ready when you are.”

“It’s a plan. Pidge and I will go after the Green Lion. Lance, you and Hunk get the Yellow. Keith,” Lance looked from Shiro to the brooding human, who looked at their leader in question, “Keith, you stay here. Wait for Allura to find the Red Lion and go after it if you can. We’ll meet back here as soon as we can.”

“Got it, Shiro.” Lance said with a nod, “Come on Hunk, lets go.”

***

“Wait, Allura what do you mean?”

Allura’s face popped up on a screen to Lance’s right, “Two hours. That is all I can keep the wormholes open for.”

“Good news!” Coran bumped her out of the way and leaned in towards the link, “Both worlds seem to be relatively peaceful, so if you get stuck there at least you’ll be comfortable!”

“Coran!” Lance said quickly, but neither the orange haired Altean or his sister said anything outside of a grin as Blue was propelled into the wormhole before them and Hunk started to yell. Lance held onto the controls as Blue breeched the other end of the wormhole and she steadied out. He forgot how bad the instability was in the wormholes and it became quite obvious that Hunk did not do so well with turbulence as he vomited what green goop he had eaten earlier. Blue was grumbling in Lance’s mind, “I know. I’ll clean it up.”

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. I’ll…. I’ll…” Hunk retched again, and Lance felt a slight laugh build in his gut. Hunk reminded him of Matoria. He had had a hard time with the motionicks too.

“Look alive now Hunk. Less vomiting, more focus. Coran said this planet should be peaceful so just a matter of you honing in on the Lion and we out of here.”

“Wait, me? I-I-I don’t know if I can do that. I didn’t bring my Geiger counter, or anything to help me find the element the Lion’s are made from. Plus being in one will most likely distort the readings-”

“What is a Giever counter?”

“Oh, it’s an electronic reader that clicks depending on distance from a chosen element. It’s how Pidge and I found this Lion.”

“Hunk, you do not need a Giever to find your Lion. You are the Yellow Paladin, he will call out to you. The plan will be to fly Blue low until you get the sensation and we’ll narrow in on ‘Low’s position and-” Lance was cut off by Blue sounding a warning deep inside his mind, sichnants before a red light went off to his right and an alarm sounded behind Hunk.

“What is it? Are we under attack? Right now? Holy crow what is that?”

“Hold on to something!” Lance shouted over the alarms as he pushed forward one control and yanked back a second causing Blue to barrel roll to her left. Lance’s eyes darted across the screens in front of him and he closed his eyes to look through Blue’s. Glara fighters. “A mining operation run by Galra, all the way here on Erdenor? A lot has happened in ten thousand years.”

“I don’t know what your talking about but could you please slow down?” Hunk groaned, he was grasping at the back of Lance’s chair and had a hand over his mouth.

“Not really unless you want to be blown up. Banking left, then we’re going to have to take her down, quick. Keep it in Hunk!”

“Trying!”

Lance sent Blue into a nose drive in the direction of the freshest looking hole that had been mined into the ground. Blue dodged plasma fire, and shot back from her tail canon taking down three of the five fighters in pursuit. Lance hit her thrusters pulling her out of her nose dive just before they hit the dugout bottom of the mine, “Hunk, sorry buddy looks like it’s going to be quick drop off and run. I will hold them off while you find your Lion!”

“Your highness, your Princelyness, I just… Lance wait!”

“Sorry, Hunk. No time. You can do this, just follow your internal Geiver counter!” Blue slid to a stop with a loud roar and Hunk was dropped from the cockpit down an out onto the disturbed earth below. Blue spun around quickly and used her body to block the cavern entrance that had been dug up by the mining as Hunk rolled all the way into it. Lance could only keep the new Paladin safe until he retrieved his Lion. “Are you ready to play, Azu?” he felt that deep purr within his chest as Blue’s tail swayed back and forth in anticipation. Blue made a snarl like sound as she opened her mouth and shot a plasma blast hitting two more Galra fighters. Lance yelled out, “Whooooo! That’s my girl. Let's take them down and cover Hunk!”


	3. Four down...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunk still hasn't returned with the Yellow Lion, Lance isn't sure he and Blue can hold off too many more squadron's of Galra fighters on their own and to top it off they're running out of time before the wormhole closes. Hopefully Pidge and Shiro are having a better time than Hunk and Lance. Because Lance still has so many things he needs to do, including just a little bit of revenge against Zarkon. But forming Voltron... it has to be first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet again, thank you for the comments, kudo's, hits and just... thank you! All love, hate, criticism, suggestions, corrections (because oh my gosh Besu, really, what are words?) or anything of the like are always welcome. But most importantly, I hope i've managed to still keep it interesting and Altean Lance-centric because I have a serious problem, but don't bother sending help <3

Blue was taking too many hits, and Lance hadn’t heard anything from Hunk. They were outnumbered by amounts Lance really didn’t want to think about and it was becoming painstakingly clear that maybe the Yellow Lion wasn’t even on this side of the Planet. Maybe it wasn’t anywhere near the mining spots the Galra were fighting so hard to protect. Then again… Erdenor didn’t have any rare minerals to Lance’s knowledge so… They had to be looking for the Lion. Right? Blue signaled deep in Lance’s mind that more were coming as she launched forward and grabbed a scrambling fighter with her jaws, crushing it.

“More of them? Quiznak.” Lance said with a sigh, “Blue, show me your damage analysis.” She grumbled in his mind, and in the brief quintents of reprieve Lance couldn’t help but smile, “Let’s not argue, just show me.” A screen popped up in Lance’s peripheral and he scanned it quickly. She couldn’t take too much more without some form of help. “You are such a beast girl, but after-” Blue opened another screen that showed the exact amount of Sentry piloted fighters they had destroyed, “-Thanks Beautiful. After… fifty-six? Really? Well after that it’s expected that you would be a bit beat up.” Blue shook her body, “Alright, shake it off, we have incoming.” Lance said as he gripped the controls and pulled them back sharply causing Blue to launch herself up from the packed dirt in front of the cavern Hunk had gone down into. “Want to go for one hundred?” Lance asked, and he grinned despite the cold sweat that had come over him at the sheer number of Galra fighters becoming little red targeting dots on two of the three screens before him. She answered him with shots from her tail canon and the materializing of her jaw blades, slicing through three fighters. “One-fifty? Alright, I forgot how demanding you were.” Lance jutted the controls forward and Blue spun in the air slicing through several more purple fighters and shooting out an array of plasma tail blasts. They were surrounded by explosions in the air but it wasn’t exactly enough as shots were fired around them. Lance maneuvered from the majority of the fire, but Blue was hit in back, her side and as she flipped in the air, right in her abdomen, causing her to curl in on herself as she lost altitude.

“Blue we’re going down! Brace, girl, brace!”

They hit hard, slamming into the dirt at a speed that caused Lance’s head to snap forward, luckily Altean’s were by no means fragile, but there was no doubt it was going to hurt like a Fanthroh Beast later. Blue pushed herself up, but the groaning of metal, the electric spasms that were short-circuiting throughout her systems were taking a toll. She opened her mouth to try and send out another round of canon fire, but she was hit again by incoming fighters that had taken to the deck and were splitting their squadrons up, half coming straight at them, the other half, “No! Blue we have to move, they’re going for Hunk!” He tried to move her out of the way, but Blue wasn’t going anywhere, “Oh no…” he whispered as two stacked sets of fighters lined up and fired. Lance braced himself for the impact, using what little movement to set Blue in a position to protect herself. He felt the ground shake beneath them, and Lance closed his eyes. He was waiting for the hit, but instead felt a happiness spread throughout him from Blue as he heard explosions yards from them. Lance opened his eyes and standing between them and incoming Galra ships was a large Yellow Lion.

“Hunk!”

The Yellow Lion launched its bulky self-forward and grabbed a fighter out of the air with its jaws, but crushed another four beneath it in an ungraceful landing. “Hey Lance! I felt that thingy you were talking about!” Hunk said, popping up on a screen to Lance’s left, a massive proud smile on his face.

“Yeah you did! Good job! Let’s get out of here!”

Another screen opened over Hunk’s, “Lance, what’s taking so-- I mean, Paladin’s. You must hurry, I cannot keep the wormholes open much longer!”

Lance grinned at his sisters face, “Blue and Yellow heading back.”

“I am so relieved.”

“Be home in a few.” Lance said with a grin to his twin, she returned it only for a moment and the screen minimized, “Alright, Hunk. Time to go.” Lance pulled back on the controls again, and with a good amount of effort, Blue pushed herself up and into the air with full thrusters. “Good job, Blue.” Lance said as he and Hunk’s Lions were drawn up to the wormhole. Two hundred yards from the entrance to the wormhole, Lance heard Hunk groan over the linked intercoms between their lions.

“You okay there, Hunk? Buddy?”

“I… I gosh… I think?”

Lance heard him retch and couldn’t help but chuckle as the Yellow Lion seemed to lose it’s direct heading and roll it’s way into the wormhole, possible just as ‘sick’ as its new Paladin. At least ‘Low hadn’t changed much, hopefully the other Lion’s hadn’t either.

***

Even Lance’s ears hurt as he rubbed his neck tenderly on his way to the castle control room. Hunk was walking alongside him and had been telling him all about how he found ‘Low. There had been a massive ‘elevator’ –whatever that was – that had taken him down to the bottom of the mine. Then he found glowing yellow lion art on the walls, and something about a drill? Lance wasn’t entirely sure what Hunk was talking about, but all he did know, was that he and this Paladin were going to be great friends.

“What took you two so long?” Pidge asked as Lance collapsed in one of the secondary control stations.

“Well, just to update the castle database, Erdenor is no longer a peaceful planet, and is, in fact, under Galra occupation.”

“Huh, all the way out in Erdenor?” Coran asked, looking over from behind Allura, “Never would have thought that.”

“Yeah, that was fun.” Lance said just a little obnoxiously which caused Allura to role her eyes at her twin.

“Was that sarcasm? I think that was sarcasm. Because it was in no way ‘fun’. How did it go for you and Shiro?” Hunk asked.

Pidge gave a cute grin to Shiro who returned it, “Yeah, we had it pretty tough too.”

“Not to cut this short… but did I mention that there was a Galra Warship on it’s way here? To Arus?” Coran cut across quickly, and Lance snapped his gaze from Pidge and Shiro to his sister and Coran.

“No, you forgot to mention that.”

“Oh, well there is! And, more bad news! Princess Allura still hasn’t found the Red Lion.”

Lance stared at his mustached friend in disbelief, then to his sister, “Allura, is it Zarkon. Is he coming here?”

Allura shook her head, “No, it is not Zarkon.”

“Some purple general named Sendak,” Keith spoke up, Lance almost hadn’t noticed he was in the room.

“Sendak?” Shiro said, “That sounds so familiar I… nevermind.”

“It does not matter because I have not yet been able to locate the Red Lion. It must be blocked from my sight somehow. A isolation shielding or something similar. So we cannot form Voltron.”

“Then how about we leave?” Hunk spoke up, “Take the four lion’s we have-”

“Well… technically we only have three lions, since Shiro’s lion can only be activated if we have the first four.”

“- ah, thank you Pidge.” Hunk said politely, then looked right back to Shiro, “I say we take the Lion’s we have and get out of here. We can’t form Voltron, we gave it the old college try, no dice, so we should jus-”

“We can’t just leave, Hunk.” Keith said, and Lance couldn’t help but notice how close he was to Lance’s chosen control station. He told himself it was nothing, because it was nothing.

“I’m not sure I like it, but I agree with Keith. It would not matter if we left, eventually Zarkon would find us. He hasn’t stuck around for thousands of years to just go ‘oh darn, nevermind’ Hunk. Trust me… I know him.” Lance said bitterly, his fellow Altean’s shot him side glances, neither wanting to truly look him in the eye. Even though Allura and Coran had already been in stasis pods when Zarkon captured Keita and started his attack on the castle they had most likely read about it from the castles constantly updating logs. They both knew how much Keita and Red had meant to Lance and Blue. “Oh Quiznak.” Lance said quickly as he stiffened in his chair.

“What?”

He leaned forward and started pressing buttons bringing up a screen before him and a tracking indicator.

“Lance, what is it?” Shiro asked, moving to Lance’s console quickly, his metal arm resting on the back of the chair as he leaned forward to see what exactly it was the Altean Prince was up too. Lance entered a code into the trackers parameters and it started to move along a map of the immediate Galaxy.

“Brother, what is it?” Allura repeated the now twice asked question as she too leaned over the opposite corner of Lance’s chair.

“Zarkon captured Keita.”

“Yes, I know. I am so sorry, Lance.” Allura said softly.

“Who’s Keita?” Keith and Pidge asked in unison.

Lance looked up at them both and then looked back down at his screens because he was worried they may see the glassiness of threatening tears he wasn’t sure he could keep in check. “Keita was the Red Paladin before you.” Lance said, not looking at Keith exactly as he spoke, “Father had sent her to hide away the Red Lion when Zarkon captured her. She could be so trusting, even with a friend like Zarkon betraying us like he did. She…” Lance looked up, what thoughts of sadness, of mourning gone as an anger filled him instead, “Zarkon killed her, and took her Lion.” The tracker started to beep on the screen before him and Lance’s head tilted, his ears twitching at the sound.

“That looks like it’s coming this way.” Pidge said softly.

“Look at your brain synapses firing off in their little brain cage.” Coran said cheerfully, “You’re a right bit smarter than I first gave you credit for number five.”

“Coran,” Allura said with a scolding tone, “That’s because it is coming this way Pidge. Sendak must have the Red Lion on board his ship. I’m sure he thought he could come to Arus and take the remaining four lions. Allowing him to present the whole set to Zarkon.”

“Good news! We’re Arus!” Coran said cheerfully.

Allura sighed, her scolding having no effect on the older Altean. She shook her head, leaned forward and tilted it to look at her brother in the chair beneath her, “How did you know what to look for to locate it? Are you sure that is the Red Lion? I tried to look for the metal the Lion’s are made from and still had not luck.”

“Yes. I’m sure.”

“How?” She pressed.

Lance sighed softly and cleared his throat, “Blue and Red have matching… well… matching embellishments Keita and I put in them. Crystals from the Balmora. One of a kind split into two pieces and one was given to each of us after we had gone to request a battle class crystal for the castle. Basically… they were traditional Balmorian engagement stones. Couldn’t wear them with the armor and all, so… we… you know. Put them in the center consoles of our Lion’s.”

“Oh Lance…”

Lance felt all of their eyes on him, and he hated it. Especially the new Red Paladin’s gaze. He would have to go and take the stone out of Red when he had the chance. Well, if Red would let him. Red and Lance didn’t always get along. Maybe Blue could convince her fellow right limb to cooperate. “So yeah…. Found the Red Lion. You’re welcome. Don’t go thanking me all at once.”

There was more silence, even Coran said nothing as Lance reached out and closed the screen before him, revealing that Keith who was leaning on the console a few feet ahead of him was still staring at him. “Noooope alright, what’s the plan Allura?” Lance said, standing up suddenly and trying to do just about anything to get the silence to stop and that stare to avert to anywhere else.

“I… I do not know. I do not know what to do…” Allura said, the despair in her voice crushed Lance’s heart.

“Perhaps… your father can help you decide.”

“Father?” the twins said together.

****

Lance was pacing outside the chamber Coran had led he and Allura too. He had gone inside, but just before anything activated, Lance had left. He didn’t want to see his father. Lie. He did want to see his father, desperately, but he didn’t want to hear him say they should scatter the Lion’s again. He wanted to fight. He needed to fight. They needed to fight, all of them. Allura was in there for over an hour, consulting with the collective consciousness of their father and Lance was getting just a little twitchy. The other Paladin’s joined him at the forty-five minute mark, but none of them really said anything. He was about to knock on the door to check in on her when it opened and Allura stood before them in her modified battle armor. “Paladin’s! We will not run, it is time we get you your Bayards and Armor and show the Galra that Voltron is back. We will retake the Red Lion, reunite all five and defeat Zarkon.”

Lance felt a grin set on his lips, “Then let’s get to the armory.”

Allura nodded, Coran smiled and the four earthlings looked mildly confused. Still a good start. The twins led the Paladin’s to the armory while Coran went to make sure the castle was ready imminent attack. As they stepped down into the armory there was an array of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahhs’, but Lance went right to his blue armor. He ran a hand over the glass encasing it and instantly it slid up for access. It was a relief to be out of his stupid ceremonial royal robes, and in his Paladin armor. It just felt right. He helped Pidge and Hunk into their armor, and glanced over to see that Shiro and Keith had managed just fine. Lance froze when he saw Keith. Paladin armor was unisex, having more of a function aspect than fashion. Which normally was fine, but it just meant that Keith’s armored form looked just like her in his peripheral. They were the same height, Keita and Keith, they even had similar names, though Keith was obviously larger with more muscle that Keita had and Lance was stupid to pretend he hadn't noticed a similar off-standish feistiness.

“… weapon of the Paladin.”

Lance was brought out of his comparisons by Allura’s voice. She was handing out the Paladin Bayards and Lance watched as each took the form of its new Paladin’s preferred weapon. When Allura handed his back to him, it took the form of an updated blaster. Different from the one he had 10,000 years ago, but still just as specified to his skill set.

“Shiro. Your weapon was lost with it’s Paladin I’m afraid.” Allura said quickly, glancing at Lance, but Lance kept his mouth shut. It was lost alright. At least he hoped it was lost, if the former wielder was still in position. Right, one problem at a time.

An alarm rang out from the console control room and the six of them ran back to the castle control room. Allura stood in the center of the room and two pillars rose on either side of her. She placed her hands on the top of either pillar and as she touched them they began to glow blue and the large monitoring screen split above them giving Lance an unfortunate flashback to the last time he laid eyes on that screen. Another Galra appeared on it however, and it still brought a low growl from Lance, “Sendak.” He and Keith said in unison.

“Princess Allura, Paladin’s of Voltron, I will keep this simple. Surrender the Blue and Yellow Lion’s, and I’ll let your live. You have two hours.”

The screen closed with a loud electronic click and they stood in silence.

“Alright, Paladin’s!” Coran’s voice called out as he turned in an about-face motion, “Shiro has a plan,” he looked over at Shiro, “Don’t you?”

Being put on the spot, Shiro straightened but nodded, “The Galra have no idea that we have the Green Lion as well as the Blue and Yellow. So, Lance, you and Hunk take your Lions and be a distraction. Tell Sendak you are surrendering your Lions and while he has his eye on you, Pidge, Keith and I are going after the Red Lion.”

“How are we supposed to find the Red Lion once we’re in Sendak’s ship? Is there a cargo hold, or Galra blueprints that we have? Princess?” Keith asked, Bayard stowed and helmet under one arm casually.

“Has nothing to do with ‘we’,” Pidge said with a small smirk and a gleam in those glasses, “It’s something you have to do.”  
“What do you mean?” Keith asked, dark brows furrowing in question.

Hunk spoke up then, “You have to use your internal Geiger counter.”

“My what?”

“You know how you said you found Blue? That you were drawn out to the desert?” Lance jumped in, a smirk on his lips, and he felt his ears become slightly more alert as Keith grunted a response.

“Yeah,” Keith said, “You kind of made fun of me for that.”

“And I’m proud of that, but it’s just like that. But it’ll be stronger with your Lion. Red will call to you, and if she’s anything like I remember, she’ll be loud and demanding, just like Blue. But don’t let her push you around. You’ll have to earn her respect and trust.”

“O…kay.” Keith said quickly, but the look he gave Lance was still full of questions that Lance really didn’t have time, nor want to answer.

“Alright, let’s get this plan in motion.” Coran said.

“Yes, Paladin’s. To your Lions! Coran, we must get the particle barrier up to defend the Castle!” Allura said, her commands coming out strict and very powerful even to Lance’s ears. Coran was nodding, Allura was working with him and Lance turned to Hunk and Pidge, “Ready kids?”

“You know you can’t be much older than us," Pidge piped in, "… well like… obviously ten thousand years older than us, but like…”

“I was put into stasis when I was 19 of your earth years of age per the reading I’ve done.” Lance answered.

“Oh, so same age as Keith and Hunk. I’m a bit younger, but much smarter.” Pidge said with a grin.

“I can believe it. And you Shiro?” Lance asked, trying to keep things friendly with his new leader as they were about to split up to head to their separate Lions.

Shiro looked over at them and seemed confused with the relevance of the question but he just shrugged, “I’m three almost four years older than Keith, you and Hunk.”

Lance arched a brow, eyes going from Shiro’s young but knowing face to the white streak in his hair. So it wasn’t from age. Maybe it was from the stress or trauma of losing his arm? It was Galra tech. Allura must have noticed, but she hadn’t said anything and Lance wasn’t about to either. Pidge, Shiro and Keith left Hunk and Lance at their Lion’s and just before Hunk climbed into the cockpit Lance grabbed him on the arm. “Matoria and I, the Yellow Paladin before you, were very good friends. He never wanted to fight, but he was good at it. So even though you are not him. I think we could be friends, and you will do just fine.”

Hunk smiled at him and nodded, “No thinking about it. I can tell. We like the same space goo, we’ll be good friends.”

“Like it? That stuff is awful.”

“I know, it’s so bad! Gotta let me make you something unslimey sometime Lance. I'm pretty fantastic in the kitchen.” Hunk said with a laugh, what nervousness Lance had been sensing seemed to be gone.

“I’ll hold you too it.”

Blue lit up the same time Yellow did and Lance put on his helmet. As soon as he did, Shiro’s voice sounded in his ears, “Lance, Hunk. Ready for launch?”

“One minute!” Hunk said as he scrambled into the mouth of his Lion. Lance shook his head and followed the example into Blue. She instantly purred when he sat down in the cockpit chair and all of her controls flipped on at his presence. Screens popped up both around Lance and within his helmet visor. He missed this. “Ready when you are, Shiro.” Lance said, and heard the approving sound-off from the other three Paladin’s.

“Remember Team, follow the plan and let’s go get that Lion.” Shiro said with a confidence that was honestly awe-inspiring. Blue made a subtle inquiry in Lance’s mind, and Lance unconsciously reached out and ran his gloved hand over the rough surface of the red and blue stone the Balmera gave him all those years ago, “Yeah Blue. This time we get to go save Red.” Her purring intensified and almost had little breaks in it as if she was snickering, “Easy their gorgeous. We have serious work to do, you can tell Red all about it once we get her out of Galra hands.” That snicker turned into a growl, “I know, so keep sharp.” Lance gave the stone one more gentle touch before he grabbed his controls in a bone crushing grip and pulled back on them causing Blue to launch up into airspace around the castle and Hunk followed him.

“Lance,” Hunks face appeared to Lance’s right, “How will we know when we’ve reached Sendak’s ship? Does it have his name on it? Like a pirates flag? Or are they color coded?”

“Easy big guy. Just follow my lead, we have this.”

“Okay. I’m okay. It’s okay. That’s a purple ship. They sure do like purple.”

“Yeah they do. I’m opening a channel.” Lance said quickly, reaching forward and pressing three buttons in sequence sending a hailing link to the Galra Warship. “Galra Ship, do not fire, we are surrendering our Lions.”


	4. Team Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Red within their grasp, Lance and Hunk try to keep to the plan Shiro has laid out for them. Distract the Galra so they can infiltrate the Warship and Keith can retrieve his Lion. But Blue has a few of her own plans she is insisting that Lance listen too. It's not like they're bad plans, but in no part of Shiro's laid out design is there room for a heroic Lioness attempting to impress her fellow Red companion. Sendak's ship is getting closer, Shiro, Pidge and Keith aren't in any form of radio contact and Lance and Blue are getting nervous. But it's going to be fine. They're Paladin's of Voltron... right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is another chapter for my Altean! Lance AU~! Again, thank you for the hits and kudos! And as before, any comments, suggestions, corrections, love, hate, criticism, all welcome and appreciated~! I should have another chapter up by the end of the week, and then we'll get to see Lance helping his fellow Paladin's learn to bond together and with their Lions. (I am just a little excited about tweaking this next part. Maybe a little Lance vs. Keith then them together against the Gladiator? I'm gonna go with yes. And oh my gosh, the maze! Soon!) Still planning on keeping it interesting for you all!! *fingers crossed*

“Lance… I don’t like this.” Hunk almost whined as they stayed in position, “They haven’t done anything. I mean, we got Sentrak telling us that we’ve made the ‘right choice’ and then nothing. I don’t like this.” He repeated, and Lance caught himself nodding in agreement.

“Sendak, and I don’t either, but we are sticking with a plan.”

“Okay, but is that glowy pink thing supposed to be part of the plan?”

“What?”

“The glowy pink beam that looks like a-”

“Time to go! Hunk, move, move, move!” Lance shouted, twisting Blue’s controls to the right, sending the Lion in the same direction in a spiral spin out of the tractor beams range. Hunk followed suit and the first part of their distractions was up, “Uh, Lance. A lot of fighters are coming this way, what do we do?”

Blue popped up a screen before Lance at the same time she sent her own plan into his mind and Lance nodded. “Hunk, you and ‘Low take out that main turret canon. Blue and I will take these fighter’s on a spin, keep them occupied until Keith, Shiro and Pidge make it out.”

“Copy that, sir. I mean… Roger. Ah, no I mean okay!”

“Okay, Azu,” Lance said as he pushed the controls forward, letting out a nervous laugh as Blue persisted her thoughts on the plan of action she liked best, “Yes. Yes, you pushy gorgeous thing. I like your plan, and yes, it’s very heroic. I’m sure Red will be very impressed, could we focus now please?” Blue seemed to be satisfied with his answer because she opened fire on the fighters zipping towards them. Her jaw blades materialized and Lance couldn’t help but grin beneath the visor of his helmet at the elation that filled him through her from the sheer thrill of doing what, as a Paladin of Voltron, they were supposed to do. Protect the Universe. Lance yanked back one lever, reached out and traced a pattern onto the screen Blue had opened up to his immediate left. It glowed where his fingers trailed and Blue followed the design down to the accidental curve his thumb made in a double back loop to get behind three fighters.

“Whoa Lance! Nice moves!”

Lance grinned as Hunk’s face popped up alongside the pattern he had traced, “Thanks! Been at this for a while, how’s that big canon coming?”

“Well, it’s big. And it’s a canon,” Hunk winced on screen and he looked sick as Lance caught a yellow streak strike a glowing sphere atop the warship, “It’s also protected by some kind of force field.”

“We have to get that canon disabled, Hunk. When Keith get’s Red, we still have to get back to Arus and form Voltron. Kind of going to be sitting Putonkai if that canon is working.”

“I know! I think…” Hunk said as his screen minimized. Lance saw a bluish white beam hit against the off pink particle barrier and heard Hunk yelling through their linked helmets, “Come on, break you stupid thing!”

Lance opened his mouth to tell Hunk to keep at it, that he had this, to encourage his new friend when he lost his train of thought as more Sentry fighters closed in on he and Blue’s position. Blue flipped herself upside down, dematerializing the jaw blades and firing suppressing canon fire drawing them away from the ship and Hunk, “I’d ask how many of them there are but we both know that answer, huh Blue? Damned Sentry warriors! Hunk! How’s it coming!”

Lance heard Hunk whoot out a screaming laugh and Lance winced a little at the sudden shout, “Ahaha! Take that particle shield!” Hunk excitedly yelled, “It’s down Lance! Now what?”

“Take it down!”

“Doing it!”

Blue was enjoying herself, and Lance would have been a liar if he said he wasn’t too, but something was wrong. It was taking the others far longer than he would have thought. When Lance first ‘met’ Blue, it had been instantaneous. Like a smaller creek meeting a river. She was in his head ever since and Lance honestly wouldn’t want to change it. He always assumed it was the same for every Paladin. Perhaps not as loudly and excitedly as Blue seemed to be, but something similar. Keith should have been able to ‘feel’ Red as soon as he was on board that Galra ship. Unless he really wasn’t supposed to be the Red Paladin? Well, good. Blue spun them in a quick corkscrew motion, which shook Lance from his stupid questions just in time to catch Yellow slam into the canon again and for an escape ship to blast off towards Arus. But still no Green or Red. “Hunk, have you seen them?”

“No. Do you think we should go in after them?” Hunk asked, his lion landing on the top of the canon and started to fire at any in-range Galra fighters taking them down in accuracy that honestly surprised Lance. Blue was telling him to go, that they should tear a hole in the side of the warship, and save Red and her Paladin. Lance wanted to as well, and he couldn’t explain why. He grit his teeth and slowly shook his head back and forth as he circled back behind another set of fighters, Blue smacking them with her claws in frustration at Lance’s reluctance to follow through with her new plan. “We do not know that they need saving, Blue.” He said quickly, tapping his helmet to block communication for a moment, “And Shiro, how is he… how are they ever going to trust us if I can’t follow a simple set of orders?” Blue sent a feeling equivalent to her rolling her eyes. “You know exactly what I mean, for the first time in history, there is only one Altean in a Lion of Voltron. They all know each other; they all already have a bond. We are the outsiders here, Blue.” She huffed, “Blue don’t be like that. It has nothing to do with you. You’re perfect. I am the one that has to prove myself capable – What’s that?” Lance asked, looking up at a screen showing the outline of the Galra ships and the red dots of all enemy fighters he and Blue were battling. He reached out and tapped the part of the warship that had caught his attention, flicking his forefinger and thumb apart on it to expand the image. It was a cargo door. It had been opened without proper decompression. At least ten sentry soldiers were expelled into empty space, and a red and white form was being sucked out into nothingness yards behind them. All of Blue’s alarms went off. Fighters had broken off from the pursuit of them and went for the open cargo bay. Lance switched back on his helmet, “-ita!” he hissed at his own mistake, “Keith! Keith can you hear me! Hold on!” Keith must have hit his communication uplink in his helmet, but all Lance heard was his panicked panting and heart rate pounding in his sensitive ears.

“Holy crow, is that Keith!” Hunk shouted between lion blasts, “Oh no, oh no, oh no, Lance do something! ‘Low isn’t fast enough to get over there!”

“Quiznak. Red must not have accepted him. Blue, go!” Lance said redundantly due to the fact that his body had already pushed forward his controls and Blue was propelling toward the distressed Paladin at full thruster capacity. He leaned forward hard against the controls, reached out and swiped away all of the screens ahead of him to focus on just one thing, saving the stupid human before Galra fighters fired on him in open space. Even at Blue’s fastest speed, she needed at least another thirty seconds until she would be able to scoop him up, and that would be ten seconds too late. “Come on, Blue!” Lance shouted, reaching out to draw a firing pattern for Blue to follow, but he paused. Not just because remaining scrap metal from the fighters could hit Keith, putting a counterproductive twist on this rescue attempt, but because the Balmorian stone embedded on Blue’s main dash started to glow. The offset sheen of red and blue seemed to shimmer under it’s rough cut surface and Lance tried not to stare. It had never done that before. Blue fired, pulling Lance from his distracted observation of he and Keita’s crystal, “Blue no, no, no! You might hit him!” The controls in his hands pushed back against him, Blue taking temporary control as she shifted her thrusters causing herself to slow down her bulk and she turned to look at the cargo bay doors and what shared anxiety and dread that had filled he and Blue was gone. Keith gasped as a Red Lion shot towards him, opening her jaws and swallowing him whole. Lance watched as Red’s yellow eyes lit up, and she twisted her body to block herself from the debris. Instantly she materialized her jaw blades and took out the remaining fighters on their intercept course.

“Kitty Rose has left the building!” Lance heard Pidge’s voice call out as his face popped up on screen to Lance’s right.

Lance nodded, and he heard Shiro tell them all to head back to Arus. Hunk said something about hoping he had done enough damage to the canon, and Keith acknowledged the given order. Lance copied Keith, muttering an ‘understood’ as he continued to stare at the crystal. It was still glowing, brighter than ever despite the hell erupting around them.

***

Allura met them in the Hall of Lion’s. Blue landed next to Red and Lance stood next to her massive right paw as the other Paladin’s disembarked their Lions. He watched as Pidge and Shiro exited Green, Hunk from ‘Low and Keith from Red. He also caught sight of a Galra spy drone floating behind Pidge, but his concern faded quickly when Pidge called it ‘Rover’ and introduced it to Allura. His twin was talking to Shiro, most likely telling him how wonderfully the Paladin’s in the completion of their first mission together, and most likely something inspirational, she was good at that. He pulled his helmet off his head and ran his fingers through his short brown hair, revealing the undertones of silver that Hunk pointed out in the sunlight. Lance felt Blue purr deeply as she sat herself down on her haunches, her long tail curling around her. He reached back and ran a hand over the claw next to him, “As always, Azu. You were complete perfection.” That purr deepened and her tail flicked a bit in appreciation.

“Does she really talk to you?” Keith asked, startling Lance at how quietly he had snuck up to him.

“All the time. Is Red giving you the silent treatment? She does that. Give her a bit of praise, get her to let you rub her nose, she’ll be all yours.”

“Is that going to be a problem?” Keith asked, leaning against the side of Blue’s paw seeming to take great care to keep a distance between them. Which Lance wouldn’t lie, was appreciated. Being near him, in that armor, it wasn’t exactly pleasant for Lance.

“Getting her to let you pet her nose? No, she loves it.” Lance said with an arched brow as he placed his helmet under his arm doing everything in his power to look cool. Collected.

“No. I meant Red being all mine. Since, you said she was your… fiancé’s?” Keith asked, obviously uncomfortable with the word, and Lance didn’t blame him. Not exactly an easy thing to do, talk to someone about a long since dead partner.

Lance’s throat felt thick, and he had to swallow hard before he was able to make himself speak, “If she hadn’t wanted you, she would have let you die. Red’s kind of black and white like that. There is no gray for her. You are her Paladin now.”

“I got this for you…” Keith said after a few moments of silence. He held out Keita’s half of the Balmerian crystal. As he did, Red looked over at them sharply and Blue looked down, her eyes bright almost like fire. “I wasn’t sure if you’d want it back and all. Red wasn’t too happy to give it up – not really sure how I knew that – but I kind of just… talked to myself about how you may want it back and all. I’m not sure she understood, though.”

Lance stared for a moment, his ears twitched as he heard Allura tell Shiro it was time and the giant doors that Black Lion was hidden behind creaked open. It really didn’t seem to matter him however as he reached out for the stone, and just like in Blue, the other half of the crystal began to brilliantly shine. The blue and red swirling within it almost as though the center of the crystal was fluid, the colors moving and dancing in a way that... That made Lance’s chest hurt. Even when Keita had held it with Lance on Balmera - when he had asked her too even consider thinking about maybe - Lance shook his head. Even then, neither half of the stone had done this. Next time he was on Balmera, if it still existed, he would have to ask one of the Balmerians what it meant. If nothing else than to maybe stop his heart from feeling as though it had shriveled up. Instead of grabbing it, Lance pushed Keith’s outstretched fingers back around it, “Let Red keep it.”

“You sure?” Keith asked, his dark eyes searching Lance’s which made Lance just a little uncomfortable, but he stared back. He would not look any meeker in the eyes of his fellow Paladin’s than he already felt he did.

“Yes. I already have one, remember?”

Keith put the stone in one of his Paladin armor satchels, and Lance noticed that Red seemed to look up at Blue, than back towards the large doors that kept the Black Lion hidden from them. Keith gave a little grunting cough as he cleared his throat, “Well, if you change your mind.”

“I never change my mind.” Lance lied.

“Must be nice to be so self-assured.”

Lance frowned. He wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be a complement, or an insult, but he really didn’t have time to dwell on it at the moment. The doors to the Black Lion opened, and Lance attention was drawn from the angst-bundle which was Keith as the dusk sun hit the shining metal of the Head of Voltron. All four lions lifted their heads and roared as the Black Lion’s eyes came to life, and joined in the deafening sound. Shiro climbed the steps to the Black Lion, and like Blue, Black’s eyes had a sheen to them that imitated fire as she leaned down in greeting to her new Paladin. Shiro reached out his cybernetic arm and pressed the metal hand to Black’s large chin. Lance thought he caught a small smile cross Shiro’s features, but he couldn’t confirm it as he turned toward them and placed his helmet back over his head, “Alright Team Voltron! It’s time to see what we can do!”

Allura had a determined smile on her face, “Coran and I should have the castles defenses up in a matter of minutes, but Sendak’s ship should be entering the Arus atmosphere any moment. We must be ready. Shiro, you must be ready.”

“We will Princess.” Shiro said with a confidence that gave a strange chill, “Paladin’s, let’s get this done and take out that ship!”

Pidge, Hunk and Keith each gave a curt nod and headed back to their Lions. Lance watched Shiro for another moment, and caught the gaze of his sister. She walked over to him, each step a floating like grace that Lance envied. She reached up and flipped a bit of Lance’s hair from his eyes, “Be safe and fight, Paladin.” She said softly, bringing her hand from his hair, to his left ear and pulled him down into another customary Altean forehead bump. Lance rolled his eyes and warped his arms around her, squeezing her just tight enough to cause her to grumble at him and muffle an annoyed, “Lance, get off!”

“You got it sis.” Lance said with a grin, letting go of her and slipping his helmet back on. “Just make sure Coran gets that particle barrier up.”

“Be careful.” She said quickly.

“Just going out to protect the universe. You know, just another day.” He said with a smirk that made Allura role her eyes. He patted Blue on the paw and she pushed herself up, lowering her large head with jaws open wide for Lance to step up into, “Be back soon.”

Allura nodded curtly, causing some of her white hair to fall from the bun she had twisted it up in and she turned from him, walking back into the castle. The Black Lion hanger doors closing, as well as the main entrance as she passed them. Lance joined the other four lions on the edge of the castle’s parameter. Blue’s warning alarms started to sound, and Lance saw why as a small screen within his helmet visor split open over his right eye, showing him the exact point where Sendak’s ship was entering the Arus atmosphere. His grip on Blue’s controls tightened and he quietly shushed her as she growled, her tail whipping back and forth behind her, “Easy, Azu, easy.”

Black gave out a roar, and Lance pushed forward on Blue’s levers, launching her in sync with her fellow lions as they broke into a run towards the Galra warship.

“So, I guess I’ll be the one to ask it,” Hunk’s voice called through the helmet links, “Do any of you know how we’re supposed to form this awesome robot Voltron?”

There was a just barely nervous chuckle from Shiro, “Not a clue.”

“Well I don’t see any combine button on my dash. Maybe it’s another lever? Anyone else have a third or forth seemingly unused lever?”

“We better figure it out soon,” Pidge said quickly.

“Incoming!” Keith warned, as Red used her tail canon to shot down descending fighters.

“We have to -” Lance started, but Pidge gave out an annoyed yell as he and Green turned out of formation to jump out and grab a Galra fighter from the air.

“I wish these Galra would give us a second to figure it out!” he said with a frustrated groan.

Lance watched as Hunk slammed ‘Low into Red and shouted “Combine!” which caused Blue to almost snicker in Lance’s mind.

“Get back in formation!” Shiro said, pulling his Lion back after blasting ten consecutively with its jaw canon. “Lance, how did you and your former Paladin’s form Voltron?” Shiro asked quickly, sliding to a stop in time with the other four.

“I… We were all just in sync and it happened.” Lance answered, “All of us were on the same wave length, down to how we moved. You can just feel it. The bond with your Lion. Which I don’t know if that helps us now.”

“It’s okay, well, we can always give it a shot. Paladin’s, take off on my mark. We’ll just try flying in formation, maybe that will… do something.”

The five of them lined up again, Shiro in the middle and when he gave the mark, they all jumped up into the air, using thrusts to fly in formation. Flying in close proximity didn’t seem to be a problem, but it didn’t seem to work either. “Come on team, we have to try harder. Focus. Bond with your lion and focus on forming Voltron.”

“How are we supposed to do that? We don’t even know what parts of Voltron we’re supposed to be.” Pidge said with a sharpness to his tone that was most likely due to a unhealthy mix of exhaustion and frustration of not knowing what to do. Lance was feeling it too, not so much the exhaustion. He had been asleep for 10,000 years. But he wasn’t sure how he could help his fellow Paladin’s understand how to form Voltron. Lance’s ears twitched within his helmet causing him to wince a little as he heard a large static sound, and then a low whistling, almost whirling sound. The turret canon. He turned his head as he saw a powerful beam shoot toward the castle, exploding against the particle barrier around it. “Shiro! They’re attacking the castle, our particle shield cannot take too many of these close range hits, you must form Voltron, now!” Allura’s voice came out over the lion’s intercoms, her face opening on a screen off center before them.

“Come on! We can do this!” Shiro said, “Voltron!”

Lance closed his eyes as he tried focus on his part within Voltron. He was stability. A single part that worked together with others in a single powerful whole. The other’s were yelling enthusiastically, and it was Keith who first said he ‘felt’ something. Pidge joined him, then Shiro, and Lance looked up with a grin as he felt them all being drawn together. Together… in the same tractor beam Hunk and Lance tried to avoid not even one hour prior. “Uh… guys… I think we’re trapped.” Hunk said followed by a thick gulp. Another canon blast hit the castle, and the particle barrier was losing its stability. Blue was sending him updates on the percentages left in shield integrity and Lance watched as another blast hit the castle and those percentages diminished completely.

“What do we do now, Shiro?” Pidge asked, his voice a little shaky.

“This is it! I don’t care what you say Shiro, I’m panicking!” Hunk shouted in short breaths.

“It’s been an honor flying with you boys.” Keith said solemnly, and Lance grit his teeth. Was this really it? Though what did they expect? The four Earthling Paladin’s had had their lions for under four hours max, two of them far less than that, and what. Allura, Lance and Coran had expected them to be able to form Voltron on their first try? It took Lance, Keita, Hardian, Motoria and Zarkon years to build up the bonds that allowed them form Voltron. Quiznak, Lance had been with Blue since he was fourteen of Earth’s years old. Granted, Altean’s and ‘humans’ were nothing alike, but still. It was a lot to expect. It had been a long shot to start. Lance stared at Blue’s console, at the crystal gleaming in the center of it. He heard her alarms blaring, she was pushing at his mind to fight. To not give up. Lance’s grip tightened as he heard that static sound start to build in the turret canon above them, in that whirling that meant it was almost charged enough to fire a final blow on the castle. On Allura. On Coran.

“We can’t give up!” He shouted, his voice cracking just a bit.

“Lance is right. We need to do this. We have too! It can’t end like this. We CAN do this!” Shiro gave an adrenalin laced yell, and Lance heard Keith, Pidge and Hunk join him. Lance let out a scream, and Blue joined him followed by all the Lions and then it happened. Lance could feel it deep within him, that singular existence transformed into the feeling of a greater presence. Of being a part of something so powerful, so entwined with each other’s strengths and weakness, fears and joys it was pure power. He could feel each Paladin’s heartbeat, each breath they took, and he took in a deep breath and smiled.

“Oh my gosh we did it!”

“I’m a leg!”

“Alright team Voltron,” Shiro said, a little disbelief in his tone, it was gone quickly however and Lance could feel them all smile, because he was too, “Let’s take out that canon!”

Lance worked with Hunk to propel Voltron forward, Keith and Pidge’s lion’s bit into the massive turret canon with their jaws, tearing it from the body of the ship. Shiro had Hunk kick through the hull of the ship, Pidge slammed into it as well sending off a blast with his jaw canon. Keith followed suit and Lance kicked down, pulling them free as the ship started to explode with the internal damage. Another blast form Keith and Pidge sent the ship falling to the continent beneath it. “Yeah! We did it team!” Shiro shouted, his breath almost panting in Lance’s ears through the intercoms.

Allura popped up on Lance’s right, and he assumed on all of the Paladin’s dashes, “Paladins! Paladin’s you did it! You formed Voltron!” she exclaimed, Coran spinning in behind her as he twirled his mustache in between his fingers. “Please return to the castle, I think you all have earned a well-deserved rest.”

“And something to eat?” Hunk asked, and Lance couldn’t help but start to laugh.

“I’ll have something cooking up for you in a few ticks once you’re back!” Coran said with a curt nod.

The lions separated, and Lance gave a low whistle as that feeling of unity, of connected psyches faded and it was back to just him and Blue. As they flew back to the castle there was constant chatter from Pidge and Hunk. Lance listened in as Blue landed herself in her spot and she stretched. Lance took of his helmet and reached out, running his gloved hand over the console affectionately, eliciting another deep purr from Blue, “What do you think, girl? Think this will work?” Blue swiveled her head to look over at her fellow lions, and Lance heard her head creak as it nodded. “I think so too. So… want to let me out of here?” Blue dropped her body to a couch and opened her jaws where Lance gave her another pat and stepped out. The other Paladin’s were gathered around Shiro, all grinning and chatting about their accomplishment, even Keith. Which was an interesting look for his seemingly natural frowning features. When Lance joined them, they all grew quiet and he suddenly felt just a little self-conscious.

“Well done Paladins.” Allura said as she walked toward them. She was back in her royal robes, a mix of blues, lavenders, golds and whites that Lance never planned to wear ever again. Shiro smiled at her as he nodded, “Thank you, Princess.”

“Well done alright! It’s a good think you figured out how to form Voltron when you did. Because you’re going to be doing it again and again!” Coran said, that slightly annoying and yet enduring cheerfulness in his tone.

“Coran, we barely survived forming Voltron this time,” Lance said with a sigh.

“I know. And that was against only one Galra Warship. Just wait until you’re against a whole fleet of them! Remember that, Lachlan? Sorry, I mean Lance. I’m sure you do. How exciting. You’ll just have to train hard and get to forming Voltron like it’s nothing!”

“We have a lot of work to do.” Shiro said as he ran a hand through his bi-coloured hair, “But Lance can help us, right Lance?” he asked, looking over at the Altean Prince. Which in turn caused the other three paladin’s to stare at him.

Lance looked back at his Blue. She had shut herself down next to Red, their tails entwined as they rested. Lance flashed a grin as he turned back to his team mates, “By the time Coran and I are done with you, it’ll be like you’ve been doing this for years.”

Allura was smiling. Coran was nodding. Pidge looked excited, and Shiro seemed intrigued. Hunk had that nervous look on his face but he smiled through it and Keith… Keith was just staring at him a hand in the satchel he had placed the crystal into before they formed Voltron. It was like he was still trying to figure out if he could trust Lance. Where as the other's had already decided on a 'yes', Keith was still unsure. It was probably better that way. Lance gave him a smirk, which earned him a scowl and for Keith to look away from him arms crossed over his chest.

“But first. Before I leave you in the capable hands of my brother and Coran, may I suggest rest and food. Because I am unsure of when we will have the luxury of it in the future.” Allura said with a smile, turning to head back up the steps to the main part of the castle.

“The Princess is right. Change out of your armor and we’ll rest up.” Shiro said.

“Good show! It’ll be nothing but hard work from here on out. Being the Defenders of the Universe won’t be easy!” Coran said in a sing-song voice, climbing the stairs two at a time.

“’Defenders of the Universe’. Heh, that has a nice ring to it.” Shiro said with a smile.


	5. Trust is easier said...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance has found his new fellow Paladin's. They have assembled all their Lions, and even formed Voltron... once. But doing it again is a whole other matter. Even with Allura and Coran's help. They need to trust each other, and it's not just Lance having a hard time opening up to strangers. The bond Lance thought the Earthlings had may not be as strong as he originally suspected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I cheated and split this 'episode' in half because I might have gotten a little carried away. I should post the other half soon! But, as always: comments, love, hate, suggestions, corrections, questions? I'll answer and I appreciate! But most of all, thank you for reading my Altean! Lance AU of modified Voltron justice! The hits, the fact that it has bookmarks, I just... I adore you! <3

Eating was entertaining to say the least. Coran insisted that they all sit down at the mess hall table. He brought out pretty plates, set out silver and glasses then filled the plates with food goo the glasses with bubble milk. Lance passed on the goo, but he downed three glasses of bubble milk much to Coran’s objection. “It’s packed full of nutrients! All the things a lean mean Paladin machine needs!” he had said, plopping extra helpings on all of their plates. Lance gave in after a little persuasion from Allura and ate a plateful. “Coran and I have gone and set you each up rooms to rest. Lance, once we are all done with dinner, do you think you can show them to the Paladin quarters?”

Lance looked over at his sister and nodded reluctantly. He really didn’t want to go down to the bunks, but it would be okay. He just wouldn’t go into or near Keita’s old room. Except his old room used to be right next to hers. And it was a hallway, so honestly, his plan was deeply flawed.

“Are you sure that’s going to be okay?” Pidge asked, pushing himself up from the table where he started to stack empty plates.

“I mean, Lance, it won’t bring up bad memories will it?” Hunk asked, joining Pidge in the cleanup.

Lance shook his head, adding in a grin for good measure, “No, here, Pidge let me get that.”

“No, your highness, I got it!” Coran said quickly, snatching up all the plates from Hunk and Pidge balancing them in his hands, and up his arms with a precision that was show worthy.

“Coran, don’t call me that. And you’re going to drop tha-” Coran dropped a few dishes, but he scooped them up in mid-air and stumbled off towards the kitchen, “-t, nope you caught it. Nevermind. I’ll show you guys down when you are ready.” He said with a stretch, looking back at his twin, “Allurie, don’t try to pass on your own sleep. You are the only one that can control the castle. You need your rest too. Okay?” Allura nodded and Lance smiled, “Alright. Good night.”

“Good night,” Allura said, and then she looked at the earthlings, “Good night Paladins. Sleep well.”

They all said their polite good nights, and though Pidge claimed he wasn’t tired, and Shiro wanted to learn more about their upcoming threats against Zarkon, Lance slowly convinced them to follow him down to the rooms. Lance dropped Hunk off at his room first, then Pidge and next Shiro. Lance stopped ten feet from the second to last room down the hall. The next room was Keita’s, and now Keith’s and the furthest was his old room. “This one’s yours. Should have everything you need. Coran is not one for missing something, but if you need anything-”

Keith stopped outside his room door and turned to look at Lance, “Should I just come find you?” he asked, one hand on his hip and a dark brow arched in speculation.

Lance scowled, “No, I’m not exactly good at room service. You’re self-sufficient. You’ll figure it out.” He said a little more bitterly than he should have. But despite having ‘slept’ forever, Lance was tired, and he really wasn’t looking forward to going to his old room. He shoved his hands into the pockets of the civilian clothes he had stashed in a stasis pod all those centuries ago and forced himself further down the hall.

“Was this hers?” Keith asked.

“I’m not sure why that matters.”

“Was it?”

“You really like to push things don’t you.” Lance sneered, not exactly an attractive sound on his tongue.

“Didn’t you hear Hunk? I don’t do ‘subtle’ well.” Keith said, his gaze following Lance as he walked past him, “So I’m going to take it as a yes.”

Lance just rolled his eyes, an instinctual response to when he was stressed, or not wanting to deal with a situation, his father had hated it. “I’m going to bed, Keith. You should too. Or else it’ll be too easy to kick your antrk tomorrow.”

“My what?”

Lance said nothing as he headed down the corridor to his room. Keith was still staring, no, he was glaring after him as he either figured out what Lance had meant or was just back to his seemingly natural brooding state. Lance just shot him a smirk and walked through the automatic doors into his room, letting out a sigh as they closed behind him. He looked around his small quarters slowly. It was exactly how he had left it ten thousand years ago, except Coran had come in and dusted the place. The bed was made, books were still stacked next to it on the floor, and the last one he had been reading was still marked on the pillow. Lance sat down on the mattress and pulled the hefty novel into his lap. He had never really been one for reading. It wasn’t that he didn’t like it, but he just never seemed to have the time. Until he met Keita; and he found out it was her passion. She read during all of her free time, and in order to get closer to her, Lance started too as well. A stupid smile pulled at his lips as he ran his fingers along the spine of the leather bound book. It had been her favourite, and Keita had insisted that Lance read it. In fact, she had almost been offended that he hadn’t, and had left him in the middle of dinner to get it for him when she had found out. She had talked about it the rest of the evening and Lance had never seen anything so cute. Finally, after promising a million times that he would read it, she had let them get back to dinner and that was when Lance knew. Deep down, he had known right then that he had loved her. Not just his usual flirting brush with attraction. It had been so much awfully more than that. He shook his head hard, and brought the book to his chest clutching it like an idiot. Lance hadn’t even finished the damned thing. He sat there for what could have been an hour, or ten minutes he couldn’t tell; losing the feeling in his hands due to the bone-crushing grip he had on the leather binding as he tried to get a grip. He stood up, putting it back on the bed and left his room. Lance walked quickly down the hall, past the control deck to the Hall of Lion’s. He thought about going to Allura’s room, but the last thing she needed was the emotional wreck of a brother right now. He came to a stop just past the threshold of the Lion’s Hall and as soon as he did, Blue lit up and lifted her head. Four more sets of eyes lit up, but Blue made a protective grumbling sound and they all ‘closed’ their eyes except for Black. The head Lioness watched Lance cross the large hall to Blue, and once he was between Blue’s front paws, the ever watchful ‘Mama’ shut down. Blue laid herself back down, curled her claws in to form a protective wall around Lance as he leaned back against her massive head and slid to the cold floor beneath them both. He felt her purr soothingly against his back, and Lance reached back running the back of his hand over her metallic surface. “I didn’t mean to wake you… We’ve had a long day, huh?” He asked softly. She was silent except for the purr as she listened to him; her metal was so warm, so comforting against him Lance could feel it through the shirt he wore and mixed with the purr she helped even without any communication. Lance on the other hand, just kept talking, it was the only way he could process. Well that and fighting in the training simulator, but right now, he’d rather be with Blue than the Gladiator.

“I don’t know how I’m going to do this, Blue. I see Allura… and she is taking this all so well. Like a true leader. I try to be more like her, Azu. I really do. And just when I think I have it together, I see them. The other Paladin’s, then it hits me that they aren’t ‘my’ Paladin’s. Well I mean I suppose they are now, which it fine, but it will never be the same. I mean, how can it? I’m whining, aren’t I?” He asked, curling himself alongside Blue, relishing in her warmth despite being a metal creature. Blue made a metallic huffing sound in agreement and Lance smiled, “You are, by far, the worse friend ever. You don’t even care, do you?” Lance whined, she huffed again and Lance closed his eyes, smile still on his face. Even with the hard floor beneath them, Blue’s smooth, but equally hard warmth beside him he felt a comfort that was almost lulling him into sleep. He had so much he wanted to talk to Blue about, to run by her and see what she thought about their current predicament. Though, Lance already knew what her ‘answers’ would be. She would fill his mind with confidence, with assurances that her fellow Lion’s would not just pick anyone to pilot them, that together they could form Voltron, and defeat the man who betrayed them. That Lance would help train them. That together they would become strong, both together as Paladin’s and with their lions. Lance knew she was right, because she had to be. “Azu, you always know exactly what to say.” He whispered and watched as the light in Blue’s eyes dimmed above him as she slowly shut down to rest her systems, “Good night, beautiful.”

***

Sunlight hit Lance square in the face; he groaned as he rolled over and hit his head against Blue’s metal jaw, “Ow! Quiznak!” Lance swore as he pushed himself up, his body ached, but he generally felt rested despite the hard surface he had slept on. His ears twitched as the mechanical sounds of Blue restarting filled them and he reached out while he stretched to pat her affectionately, “Hey, gorgeous. Thanks for letting me stay.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls, Lance.”

Lance shot up, startled. He looked around as Blue retracted her barrier of limbs from around them and pushed herself up into a sitting position. Pidge was sitting on one of Green’s large paws, a flat machine open on his lap with multiple cords hooked into the lion’s leg. Lance recovered himself quickly as Pidge looked over and grinned at him, “Not just girls, Pidge.” He said with a flirtatious smirk he couldn’t help, “It is only polite, after all.”

“Learning more and more about you, Lance.” Pidge said, turning back to his work, tapping the machine in his lap.

“Team building exercises, Pidge. They are important.” Lance said, giving Blue another pat before walking over to the Green Lion, “What are you doing?”

“She hasn’t been updated in centuries. I’m checking out her systems, giving her a few modifications. Shiro and the others are up on the control deck.”

“You staying here?” he asked, looking over Green’s paw to look at what Pidge was tapping code into, “Want me to bring you something to eat, while you… work on that?”

Pidge pushed his glasses up on his face and shook his head. There was something off about the smallest Paladin, but Lance couldn’t put his finger on it. He shrugged as Pidge shook his head quickly, “No, no. Shiro gave me a few hours to work with ‘Rald, then we’re going to work on forming Voltron.”

“’Rald?”

“Yeah. Calling her ‘Green’ just seems so… boring. She is far from boring. So, I’m gonna call her Emerald, or ‘Rald for short.” Pidge said with a grin.

“Much better than ‘Green’ for sure. Rover and ‘Rald. I like it, Pidge. See you later?”

“Yeah, I have another thirty before I told Shiro I’d be back. See you then.”

Lance smiled with a small shake of his head, Pidge reminded him so much of Hadrian it almost made Lance laugh. Except of course, Hadrian had been female, and much taller than Pidge. “See you later. You too beautiful.” Lance said with an added wave to Blue, but she wasn’t looking at him, she was watching Pidge and ‘Rald. Obviously more curious as to what they were doing than watching Lance leave. He headed up the stairs and went to his room first to change. He was in and out of the room as fast as he could, changing out of pants and pocketed tunic he wore. More customary Altean Royal robes hung in his closet, Lance pushed them aside and frowned when he couldn’t find anything else. He pulled them on reluctantly, but left the cape and long vest on the hook. They were obnoxious, at least on Lance they seemed it. He made his way to the control deck, intentionally skipping breakfast, and yawned loudly when the doors opened before him. Shiro was talking to Allura, Coran was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Hunk, or Keith. Lance was a bit relieved about the last no show in the control room.

“Lachlan! Good morning.” Allura said with a smile that Lance didn’t want to upset, so he didn’t bother to correct her. “How did you sleep?”

“Hard.” Lance said with a smile, “Please tell me you got some sleep, ‘Lurrie?”

“Yes. I did. Quite well, actually.”

Lance smiled, “I’m glad to hear it. And you, Shiro?”

“I can sleep anywhere. But yes, I slept great, thanks Lance.” Shiro said, a polite smile on his features. “So what’s you and Coran’s plan for us today?”

“Jumping right in, huh?” Coran asked, popping in followed by Keith and Hunk.

“Morning Lance!” Hunk said with a smile, handing Lance a large cup of bubble milk. Lance took it and smiled, “Thanks, Hunk.”

“Where’s Pidge?” Keith asked, walking past Hunk and Lance and going to stand near Shiro.

Lance took a gulp of his bubble milk and ran the back of his hand over his mouth before he spoke, “Pidge should be here in about fifteen.”

“It may be better if we do down to the Hall of Lion’s to get him,” Shiro said softly.

“Alright, Paladin’s!” Coran said quickly, “To your Lions! Let’s see just how in sync you are with them.”

“Coran,” Lance said with a grunting cough, “I really think we should assess the link between Paladin’s first before Lions.”

“Nonsense! Lance, who helped King Alfor set up the original Paladin Training Regimen?” Coran said matter-of-factly.

Allura and Lance looked at each other, than answered together, “Theagan.”

Coran’s mustache visibly twitched, “Well, yes. And who helped, him?”

Lance arched a brow, “Caedander, right?” he asked Allura, she nodded, “Yes, Cae helped Theagan.”

“Okay. But who helped Cae?” Coran asked again.

“I’m assuming you, Coran?” Allura asked, putting a stop to the questions.

“Well… no, but I was friends with Caedander’s brother’s cousin. And I mentioned to her, that she should tell her cousin, to tell Caedander that-”

“Thank you, Coran.” Allura said with a forced smile, “Lance, I think Coran may have a plan. You should go along with it.”

“But, Allura,” Lance said quickly, but Allura’s gaze switched from fun sibling, to Princess, “Fine, I’ll go suit up.”

“Right now?” Hunk asked, “Like right now, right now? Do I have time to pee, or?”

Lance grinned, “Yes. Go. Meet you down there.”

***

“Allura this is taking it a little too far!” Lance yelled as Blue dodged another particle barrier blast.

“You need to be able to form Voltron. Last time you five formed Voltron under duress. I am just filling that void.”

“Maybe they need more fire power. We haven’t run diagnostics on the castles plasma canons. Let’s run those alongside the particle blasts.”

“Coran!” Lance growled, “Do not dare.”

“Sorry.” Coran said over the Lion coms.

Shiro grunted over the helmet link, “Come on Team Voltron!”

“I don’t even know what we’re supposed to be doing!” Keith growled out in frustration.

“This isn’t working.” Pidge groaned.

“We have to try harder,” Shiro said, his voice steady, commanding and a little frustrated himself.

“Any time you want to give us some pointers, Lance. It would be great.” Keith said sharply.

“Pretty hair, you couldn’t handle my poin-”

“Enough!” Shiro snapped, “We have to work together. All of us.”

Coran’s face popped up to Lance’s left, “Maybe… we should try some team building exercises first…”

“I told you!” Lance grumbled as Blue skidded to a halt and shot off a blast to stop incoming canon fire.

***

They all sat in a circle, and they all gave a comforted sigh, having calmed down from Allura’s assault on them via the castle. That was until Coran walked into the training hall, “Has Lance informed you of the purpose of this exercise?” He asked with a cheery grin beneath his mustache.

“No, I haven’t yet Coran.” Lance answered, “Dropped the ball.”

“Well I can do it!” Coran volunteered, and Lance shook his head.

“I think I have it, Coran. I’ll explain and then you follow through?”

Coran nodded and began to slowly circle them as Lance took a deep breath. “Ready?” he asked his fellow Paladin’s and they all nodded. “It may be a little difficult, because we all have a lot on our minds right now, but in this circle we can open up our minds to each other. And part of being a part of Voltron, means being open with each other.” Lance looked around, and caught a nervous look on Pidge’s face. He assumed it had to do with nerves and ignored it. “The easiest way to do this, is to focus on a time when you were most comfortable. A memory you revert to when you want to calm yourself down, or motivate you. Let’s just start with that. Okay?” Lance said, looking around the circle, each of them nodded again and Lance closed his eyes. He followed his own directions, thinking about what motivated him. The first memory that came to mind was his mother, his father and Allura. He did not have a large blood-related family, but he had always considered Coran’s family a part of theirs too. So in filtered Coran, his mother and father who acted like grandparents Allura and Lance never had. Coran’s sister, her family and all of the love they had given the twins before Zarkon started the Galra Altean War. Then Keita. Lance heard Hunk chuckle, and he opened his eyes. The very image he had thought up as his extended family was frozen in a portrait for all to see. He stared at the smiles, the goofy look on Coran and his sisters face, his father and mothers loving looks, Allura standing next to him, and Keita with her hand slipped into his. He glanced around the circle, each of them had an visage before them of a time, a place, or of a person important. All were solid, clear memories, something the could draw on and open up for each other to build a trust between them.

Coran took over, “Now, take this memory, this time when everything seemed clear, and use it to connect to Voltron. Associate the feeling with your Lion.” Lance watched as each of their memories began to glow with their colours. The memories morphed into outlines of their Lions and they slowly moved to the center of the circle, and began to transform. Each Lion formed it’s part, and as Voltron stood in the center of them, the left arm, Emerald, began to flicker.

“Pidge, stop thinking about your girlfriend, and focus.” Keith said quietly.

Pidge’s eyebrows scrunched together as he tried to concentrate, but his memory began to flicker like the essence of his lion.

“Pidge.” Shiro said with his eyes closed, “It’s okay.”

Hunk chuckled again, and Pidge opened his eyes with a frustrated groan, “This is stupid! I don’t want any of you in my head!” he said, standing and storming from the training hall.

The visage of Voltron flickered, and then disappeared as they all lost the connection. Hunk looked a bit confused, Keith scowled and Shiro stood up, “I’ll go get him.”

Coran was stroking his chin, “Lets…. Try something else.”

***

“So what are we supposed to do now?” Keith grumbled, his arms crossed over his armored chest.

“Alright, Paladin’s!” Coran’s voice rang out from the balcony observation room above them and Lance looked up. Eight orbs dropped from the ceiling and began to circle them. “The object of this exercise is to learn to protect your fellow Paladin. If you lose a member of your team, all of you will fall.”

Lance lifted up his left arm and shook his wrist, activating his armors shield. The others followed suit and he held up the transparent blue shield in a defensive stance, “Get ready…”

“For what?” Hunk asked.

“Hunk, your shield!”

“I know, isn’t it cool? I little awkward. I mean what would happen if you were waving at someone in your armor, and then your shield activates? It would be weird – ow!” Hunk yelped as one of the drones shot him, and the floor panel beneath him opened up dropping him below.

“What the heck?” Pidge asked, turning quickly and looking down at the floor where Hunk disappeared through, leaving his back wide open. Three electric shots went off, Lance turned to block of them, Shiro caught another, but the third hit Pidge in the back upper thigh and he too fell through the floor, disqualified.

“Lance, Keith! Backs!” Shiro said, backing up and Lance felt Keith and Shiro’s armor hit up against his. They had their shields up, blocking each other from the array of shocks aimed towards them. Lance heard Coran say something about ‘upping the level’, and the drones began to spin faster. They moved more erratically, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to block all of the shots sent from them.

Lance barely caught a shock aimed at his knee, “Keith, the point of this is to cover each other!” Lance snapped, pushing his shoulder hard against Keith in annoyance.

“What do you think I’m doing?” Keith almost snarled, shoving back at Lance, which caused Shiro to be pushed from the formation they were in, exposing his broad shoulders. Shiro turned but not in time to miss a shock from a spinning drone, sending him down through the flooring as well.

“Look what you did!” Lance yelled.

“What I did? You’re the one who’s supposed to be covering Shiro’s back!”

“Just shut up and cover me!” Lance growled, moving his shield to block as many of the spiraling shocks that he could. He caught an opening in Keith’s defense in his peripheral and tried to go to block it, and failed as he over extended his reach. Opening himself for a hit straight to the chest. The floor door opened up beneath him, but Lance, having done this exercise many times before, jumped back pulling Keith with him. His chest was numb from the hit even through the Armor, but he was getting tired of this ‘game’. Lance materialized his Bayard, lifted his shield for cover and rested the blue and white energy blaster over the lip of the transparent shield. He fired, hitting five of the drones with complete accuracy. He was taking aim for the remaining two, when Keith sliced through the with his own Bayard.

“Hey! Don’t destroy the drones, we only have so many of those! But… you lasted longer than I thought you would! Good job!” Coran said over the communication intercom. Lance glared up at the orange haired Altean, he was twisting his mustache in his fingers and Allura walked up next to him to look down on them.

“Coran, they lasted three minutes. How is that ‘good’?” She asked.

“Well I mean, good for… for… Let’s try the Gladiator.”

“Yes, lets.” Allura agreed.

“What about Shiro, Hunk and Pidge?” Keith asked, his chest was heaving.

“Oh, of course.” Allura said, reaching across Coran pressing a button, or lever. Pidge, Hunk and Shiro were popped back up from beneath them.

“Whoa that was weird. I didn’t like it. Let’s not do that again.” Hunk said, a shiver running through him, “Did you guys win?”

“No.” Allura called out over the coms, “They cheated.”

“That, ‘Llurie. Is a matter of opinion.” Lance called up to her with a grin. She did not look impressed, and she crossed her arms over her chest, “Ready yourself. The Gladiator is next.”

“The what?” Pidge asked.

“Get ready.” Shiro breathed, his cybernetic hand starting to glow an off pink as his eyes darted around them. Waiting for an attack. Hunk materialized his Bayard into his massive canon like blaster and Pidge’s turned into his petite but powerful electric arrow-like blade. They all nodded, and Lance lowered his shield and raised up his own weapon. When the Gladiator dropped from the ceiling above them, Hunk turned and called out its position first. The rest of them turned and Lance watched as Shiro moved to protect his team, racing forward to slam a pink fist into the Gladiator. It moved quickly, dodging out of Shiro’s reach and circling around him going straight for the statistically decided ‘weakest’ member first. Lance moved to block the Gladiator as he went straight for Pidge, using the grip of his blaster to block it’s condensed energy sword as it formed. “A little help!” Lance grunted out through gritted teeth as he pushed back against the robotic training tool.

“Got it!” Hunk said with a yell, rushing toward the Gladiator using his yellow and white Bayard canon like a battering ram as he slammed against the sentry. The Gladiator was pushed back several feet back to Shiro, his metal arm now glowing a luminescent purple as it struck against the Gladiator. Shiro hit it, metal hand slicing through metal Gladiator arm. The Sentry jumped back, leaving its dismembered arm on the training floor before Shiro and as Hunk, Pidge and Keith cheered. Lance and Shiro watched. The cheering stopped short as the arm instantaneously reformed. The Gladiator launched forward, landing a flat-palmed strike to Shiro’s chest, knocking him down. It turned on Hunk next, spinning and hitting Hunk in the shoulder sending him into a nearby wall with surprising minimal force. Allura must have turned down the difficultly level. It went for Pidge next, who was gripped and thrown into Shiro who was trying to push himself back up. Lance and Keith attacked the Gladiator at the same time, and even with the difficulty down, landing blows took great effort but they were holding their own.

“Keith, watch your back!” Shiro called out.

“Lance, he’s aiming for your side!” Pidge joined, “Left, your left!”

Lance tried to block, but the Gladiator grabbed him by his left arm. It spun around and threw him into Keith sending them both into the rolling along the floor. All five of them down, the Gladiator knelt, setting itself in a stand-by mode as it waited for them to either stand back up, or be dismissed. Lance groaned as he sat up, half in Keith’s lap, half sprawled over Pidge. He heard Allura’s clicking heels as she stormed into the hall, “Do you believe this some kind of game?” she asked, her stare hard on all of them. Especially her twin.

Lance stood up, dematerializing his Bayard and returned the almost glare, his chest heaving, “You know the answer to that. We are going about this all wrong. They did not grow up on Altea, you are asking for-”

“Paladins,” she said, looking over her brother to the four pushing themselves up off the floor, “This was on the setting for an Altean child. You cannot expect to defeat Zarkon if you cannot even defeat such a simple opponent.”

“Um, there was nothing ‘simple’ about that robotic thing, Princess.” Hunk said quickly.

“Princess,” Shiro said, stepping before all of them, “We are trying. With time we will only get better. Run the simulation again.”

Allura took a breath, “Your abilities in battle are not the problem. Your Garrison has trained you all in the ways of combat efficiently. It is your teamwork that needs help. It was seen in the drone simulation, and here. You can fight, but you do not work together. It is not just a matter of following orders. Perhaps we should start… smaller.” She looked at Lance, and a small smile pulled at her lips, “And I know just the exercise.”

Lance blinked, and then frowned, “No. Allura. That isn’t what I meant.”

“Coran,” she said a little louder, “Lance will start. The rest of you follow me.”

“I hate the Maze!” Lance whined.

“I know you do, that’s why I figured you’d want to get it over with first. Plus, as the only one who has done it before, it is only fair to show the others how it is done. It is your idea, after all.”

Lance threw his head back but relented as he walked to the center of the training room. He wouldn’t say Allura was right, but building trust between them should have been the first thing they started with. The doors closed behind them as they all headed up to the observation balcony and Lance stood, foot tapping as he waited. He took off his helmet and slid it across the smooth surface just in time to hear the slight static clicking of his most dreaded Paladin training regimen.

“Hello?” Lance asked aloud, “Anytime, guys.”

“Alright, so you can’t see the walls, but I can. And the point is?”

“Keith?” Lance asked, looking up and squinting to confirm, “No, someone else but Keith. He can’t see through his bangs, how is he supposed to direct me out of this death trap.”

“Lachlan! It is not a death trap. It only gives correcting shocks if you go the wrong way.” Allura said, over the coms. Lance saw his twin turn to look at Keith, she said something and then Keith nodded.

“Lance, two steps left, then a right.”

“No, someone else.”

“Trust me. Two steps left, then a right.”

Lance took a breath and followed the verbal instructions. He took two steps left and shouted as a strong electrical current struck him. “Keith what the Quiz-”

“Sorry, my left, your right.”

Lance swore, and tried to back himself up to his original position to take two steps right, then a left and was struck again. “Where now?”

“I told you. Alright hold on,” Lance saw him lean forward, scanning a screen Lance couldn’t see, “One step right, then turn left. Five steps forward.”

“My right or your right?”

“Your right.”

“One step right…” Lance repeated, following the direction after taking a deep breath. No shock. He turned left and took five steps, stopping when Keith shouted ‘stop’, “You don’t need to yell, I can hear you just fine.” Lance snapped, pointing at his tipped ears.

“You were about to hit a wall, you’re taking too big of steps.”

Lance paused, and reluctantly looked up at the balcony. Keith was staring intently at the screen still, a gloved finger tapping against his chin as he thought through the moves he was going to put Lance through. Lance sighed, one of them had to take the first step towards trust. He whistled loudly, causing Keith's intense stare to flick form the screen down to him. Lance grinned, adding in a wink for good measure because, why not? He heard Allura and Pidge snicker in the background over the intercom and he kept Keith's gaze, “Waiting on you. What's next?”


	6. Wisplap's and Robotic Monsters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Forming Voltron was hard enough with Paladin's you've been around for years. But despite minimal training, and a whole lot of differences, the New Paladin's of Voltron are managing. While the Earthlings are getting a crash course on how to be a Paladin of Voltron, Lance is getting a crash course all his own. At least he can be distracted by tiny snail like people local to Arus, hand crafted meals from his new friend Hunk and Blue's never ending plans. Form Voltron, check, save the Universe... pending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the other half of the last chapter I got oh-so carried away on. I'm long winded and love my Lance convo's so... I'm sorry? Also.... THANK YOU FOR THE KUDO'S, BOOKMARKS, COMMENTS AND HITS!!! Ohmygoshicantevenimdyingyouareallsoawesome! Feel free to leave any questions/corrections/suggestions/love/hate/ect. always adored and appreciated.
> 
> Oh, I've gone through and made up Altean words throughout this because I can haha! However, if you caught somewhere in the show/comics/original 80's version ect. actual words used for the things i'm trying to say... be kind and share haha! But most of all. Seriously. Thank you for reading my Altean!Lance AU story of angsty goodness. You're awesome, and you make me feel awesome because you exist <3

Lance was starving. So when Hunk insisted on lunch, Lance backed him fully, it seemed just having bubble milk didn't do much in the department of keeping one focused through strenuous shock therapy. Though it had been numbing, the exercises seemed to be working. After the third time through the maze each of them were listening intently to each other’s directions. Slowly trusting each other to not lead them into ‘danger’. Pidge was still reluctant to retry the circle, but Shiro suggested after they eat, they try to form Voltron. For real, no duress, no pressure. As they sat down to eat, Lance was excited, even for the dreaded green food goo. Coran walked in, smiled politely to them all then tossed out multiple gortorian fruit sized black rings. The rings went straight to their armor like magnets and clasped around all of their wrists within sichnants and then each black ring was drawn to each other locking all five of them together. Lance looked over at his sister as she sat down at the table with them, “You are joking, right?”

Coran grinned from behind her deviously after he finished placing goo before them, “No one is stopping you,” he said cheerfully, placing a spoon before each of them, “Well, no one, but each other.”

“Coran, think very carefully about what you are doing.” Hunk said, and Lance glanced to his left where the Yellow Paladin sat. That was the most dangerous tone he had heard come from the large teen.

Allura smiled sweetly as she picked up her spoon and scooped a small portion of the food goo taking a bite of it with perfect grace. Lance’s stomach screamed and he reached forward for his spoon without thought, which pulled Hunk forward, who pulled back on instinct resulting in Lance elbowing Keith in the chest. The chain reaction ran down the line to Shiro, who had his spoon already in the goo and accidentally flicked it toward Allura. Coran blocked it with a tray he was holding, but Lance knew that stare his twin gave Shiro. It was baiting, it was pure older - by maybe a varga - sister, not Princess. She dipped her spoon back in her plate of goo and this time took a massive blob of it and flung it across the table.

“Shiro, watch out!” Keith called, trying to stand up to help his friend, and pulled Lance into the line of fire, getting him hit right in the face. As the green goop slid down Lance’s nose, he swore he could hear the shocked intakes of breath, the slow blinks of disbelief, and Allura's bell like laugh.

“Not even going to fight back?” Allura teased.

“Shiro,” Pidge said from the far end of their chain, he had a handful of goo ready for launch, and Shiro nodded. Pidge’s aim was perfect, but Allura moved to her left at the last second, the green slime hit the back of her chair instead of her. That teasing smile of hers turned into a challenging smirk. That look. That right there was Lance’s sister.

“Is that the best you have, Pidge? I suppose it cannot be helped. I mean after all, the five of you couldn't even defeat the Gladiator on a child's setting. I assume it would be too much to expect an actual hit.” she asked.

“Let lose Pidge!” Keith called, sliding his bowl down the table to the smallest Paladin and the messy onslaught ensued. They stood together and moved as a unit, slinging goo, blocking for each other, and Lance couldn’t help but laugh along with his fellow Paladin’s as they got covered in slimy food supplements. They fell back into their chairs, still ‘chained’ together, and Allura stood up, slamming her fist against the table to get their attention, “Paladin’s! Do you know what you just did?” She asked, her tone deceivingly dark before she smiled, “You worked together. Completely in sync with each other, trusting each other!”

Slowly, all the Paladin’s looked around at each other. They looked ridiculous, covered in green goo, smiles on their faces and Shiro stood up with all of them to follow, “Do you know what I’m thinking?” he asked, and Lance nodded in time with the other four, “Let’s go form Voltron!”

The magnetic manacles dropped from their wrists with a click of something Coran had in his pocket and Lance turned to follow the rest of his team when Allura called to him. He stopped and looked back at her, goop dripping in a splat off his left shoulder. She brought a hand up to her mouth and she laughed softly, "You look ridiculous," she said through fading giggles, "Did I do okay?" She asked suddenly and Lance just stared.

"You were kind of a wisplap, but it was for good reason." He said with a grin.

"A wisplap! I was - okay maybe I was a little wisplapy..." she relented and Lance's grin only grew when Coran nodded in agreement beside her. "I just need them to take this seriously. Father always knew exactly what to do to motivate his paladins, to keep them on the right course."

Lance arched a brow in question, "Allura, you're doing just fine. And if you have doubts, you can always go ask Father."

"I know I can, but I am asking you, Lance. That and... Father, he... he... I…"

"He trusted Zarkon." Coran said quickly.

Lance felt his reassuring smile fade from his features. Zarkon. They had all trusted him, let him into their lives. Lance couldn't help but feel that his King would have never considered the Galra as a Paladin if Lance had not insisted on it. On creating a stronger bond between their two people. To close old wounds. It had seemed so genuine, so perfect at the time. Allura went a bit pink in the face from embarrassment at Coran speaking her mind for her, "No! Coran that was not what I meant-"

"We all trusted Zarkon, Coran. I trusted him too... more than anyone." Lance said, his words harsh even to his own ears.

"It was not Fathers fault, Coran." Allura said, her voice cracking a little at the words. The fushia Althabrands on her cheekbones began to shimmer a little with her emotions. The ‘glint’ happened in moments of deep sadness, or extreme bliss. It was the first thing their father had taught Lance to control as a paladin; though it was not one hundred percent preventable.

As a princess never foreseen to have to continue his war, King Alfor had not seemed to think it was a required skill for Allura. It had been ten thousand years, but to them it had only been two days, and Lance did not blame her as her glint gave away just how devastated she truly was. Because he was too, "It was not his fault..." she said, wiping at her face.

"Princess," Coran said with a pained expression on his face, "That was not what I meant... King Alfor is by no means to blame. He saved us all. Protected the Lions and allowed us to live to fight another day. I was only saying that because Alfor knew him, trusted him… No one is to blame, and as long as we work together, we will defeat Zarkon. Right, Lance?"

Lance felt both of their blue gazes on him. Those pink pupils indigenous to their race wide and focused strictly on him. Coran seemed deeply upset that he was the cause for his Princesses current state of seeking reassurances. Of her doubt. Lance smiled at them, his lips felt tight as they pulled back to form the curve of reassurance and he nodded, "You are right about almost everything, Coran. Those four are meant to pilot their Lions, to be a part of Voltron. And we will defeat Emperor Zarkon. But you were wrong about the 'blame'. There is someone to blame for all of this. Zarkon becoming a Paladin; his betrayal of his ‘friends’ of Voltron and the Universe. And that person is me," Lance said.

Allura' features changed from grieving sister to leader in an instant, she glared at him and started to shake her head, "No. No Lance you are wrong-"

"Lance, no wait, how did you come to that conclusion?" Coran asked, confusion deepening the lines on his face.

Lance's ears twitched as he heard Hunk call his name down the corridor, he turned from his sisters glaring look, and waved, "Let's get back to this conversation later, got to go."

"Lance come back, you do not really think that, do you?" Allura asked, the sister part of her was back. He could hear the concern in her voice. The pity. Not exactly one of his favourite undertones.

"No, I know it." Lance called over his shoulder as he started to break out into a run, "But we all have to live with our mistakes. See you later, 'Laurie! Wish us luknar!"

"Lance!"

***

"Ready, team Voltron?" Shiro's voice called over the Lion coms, his voice was full of confidence and along with Blue's excitement Lance was pumped despite he and Allura's dispiriting but brief conversation.

"Ready." Lance said in unison with the other Paladins and Blue gave a little sway to point out that she was ready too, "That's my girl, Blue." Lance mumbled, reaching out and running a hand over her console with an added pat. Lance wasn’t sure how he knew, but as soon as they launched from the Castle in their Lion’s, forming Voltron did not seem so daunting. Shiro took a deep breath over the intercom links and Lance found himself doing so as well. He held his breath as the two words he was waiting for sounded over the comms in a strong determined voice.

“Form Voltron!”

Lance shouted in excitement equal to Blue’s roar as it happened. She transformed, flying seamlessly with ‘Low as they became the legs, connecting to the reformed Black Lion. Red and ‘Rald flew around them, transforming too. The head of Voltron altered, Black’s jaws sliding back to reveal the face of the legendary warrior. It flowed so seamlessly, Lance wasn’t exactly sure why they were having such a hard time forming Voltron before.

“We did it!” Hunk yelled in triumph.

“All that electroshock therapy worked, Lance.” Keith said and Lance swore he could hear the smirk in his tone.

Lance was coming up with a comeback when Allura’s face popped up to Lance’s right. She was beaming, and Lance watched as she clasped her hands together in pure joy, “Shiro! Paladin’s you did it! You formed Voltron!”

Shiro opened up in another screen alongside Allura and Lance turned to look at them. The Black Paladin had a grin on his face that was contagious, “Come on Team Voltron, let’s see what we can do.”

***

They had run battle drills and separated than reformed Voltron enough times over a 24 hour period that even Lance was starting to agree with Pidge and Hunk’s groaning. Blue on the other hand, was loving it. She and Red would chatter off in a string of metallic clicking when they were near each other and Blue was feeding Lance idea’s on how they could further show Shiro and the other Paladin’s what they were made of. She had a fantastic plan that she wanted to do on their next break from Voltron. Something to do with a complete twisting flip and some blind landing. All of which sounded beyond impressive and if Lance was being honest, fun. They broke from Voltron and Shiro called them in, “Good training today guys! I think we can give ourselves a break.” He said, and Lance heard Blue give a metallic whine as her plan was dashed.

“It’s okay, Azu. I promise we will run more drills. And who are you trying to impress anyway?” she grumbled at him and Lance felt a heat rise up to his ears when he realized what she was getting at, “You think… you think I need help impressing them? What are you talking about?” he asked. His ears twitched as her metal groaned in what Lance could only describe as a ‘shrug’, “What, am I too bland? Blue, no, seriously, I am anything but bland. Blue!” She said nothing as they landed in the Hall of Lions. She continued to ‘say’ nothing, though he did hear her lightly purr complete with tiny chuckle like breaks within it. “Fine. Though I appreciate it, you are wrong.” He said as she lowered herself to the floor and he jumped down from her. Blue sat back on her haunches and looked straight ahead, as if she was hurt by him telling her she was wrong. Lance sighed, and though he saw the other Paladin’s staring at him as they left their own Lions he turned back to Blue. “Azu. Don’t be like that. Sorry.” She still ignored him, her massive head turning to look away. Shiro, Hunk and Keith stopped in their exit from the hall, Lance heard Pidge continue out after a moment of staring. He figured to go check on the prisoners he and Shiro had freed. “Blue, gorgeous look at me. Don’t be mad,” he said, adding a small amount of whine for her benefit. Her metallic head tilted a little and she looked down at him with one glowing yellow eye. Lance heard Hunk chuckling and Lance knew exactly what this looked like. He was standing beneath a multi-story high robotic sentient lion that he had offended, and he was about to barter for Blue to ‘love’ him again. And that was exactly what he was going to do.

“Just pet her nose,” Keith called out.

Lance could hear his mocking grin but he ignored it as Blue continued to eye him. He knew how to fix his mistake of telling Blue she was ‘wrong’. “Azu, who loves you?” he asked, ignoring the sudden confused looks from his fellow Paladin’s. She huffed. “Bluuuue. Blue, who loves you?” he repeated, adding extra emphasis to his words, he repeated them again complete with a kissing sound and she caved. Blue’s was down in a stretched play like bow and was pushing her massive muzzle down against him, her loud purr echoing throughout the hall. “Yeah, that’s right. I do.” He whispered softly, running his hands over her chin.

“Lance, you coming?” Hunk called and Lance nodded, giving Blue a quick pat before he jogged off to catch up with them.

“At least Red doesn’t make me grovel.” Keith said with a sly smile on his face as they walked down the corridor. Shiro grinned, and Hunk made a face as though he was worried more bickering between Lance and Keith would ensue.

Lance just shook his head, “I think you're just jealous, Keith. It isn’t Blue’s fault no one tells you they love you. But if it’s something you need to make you not so…”

“Cranky.” Hunk helped.

Lance arched a brow, but nodded, “I was going to use another word but sure... ’Cranky’, I like that. It fits. Anyway I can tell you -”

“If you told me you… anything’d me, I may throw up.” Keith said bitterly.

“Keith, don’t be dramatic. Lance, just… please don't antagonize him. And Hunk, don’t encourage.” Shiro said with a threatening laugh flicking from his tongue, “We have a little down time, use it wisely.”

“Mess hall?” Hunk asked, Lance and Keith nodded. Hunk was grinning as they walked down the corridor leading away from the Hall of Lions to the desired location. As the metal doors slid open to reveal the mess. Shiro sank down into a chair at the head of the table, Lance was about to follow suit when Coran appeared with a covered platter.

“I bet you all are hungry, are you not, Paladin’s?” Coran announced more than asked as he placed the large platter on the table, “I took the liberty of making you a traditional Paladin lunch!” he said with a grin beneath his mustache.

Lance’s ear’s twitched at his words and his mouth instantly began to water, he put his helmet on the table, “Coran, you made Patanareax?”

Coran had a pleased look on his face as he lifted the cover, revealing a pile of red ground meat mixed with yellow tube like vegetables that gave a smell that Lance would die for. And apparently was killing his fellow paladins. Coran handed Lance a spoon proudly and he took a hefty scoop from the plate. Keith scrunched up his nose in disgust, Shiro looked like even he wouldn’t try it and Hunk… Hunk pulled Coran aside and was asking why they hadn’t made anything with all the fresh erbs and vegetables found on the planet. Lance didn’t care. It tasted like home. He leaned over the table and shoveled down more bites, chewing it thoroughly mostly because you had to with Patan, and to savor it. Each bite reminded him of his meals with Hadrian. With Matoria and Allura. Coran and… a sadness mixed within him alongside the nostalgia and it made him choke a little. The last time he had eaten this meal, Keita had made it for him. It had been awful, but not from her lack of trying. It suddenly tasted like ash in his mouth, and he swallowed thickly as he stared at the meal.

“Hey Lance… your… your face buddy. Is that stuff making your little arrow marky things brighter?” Hunk asked, leaning forward and touching Lance’s cheekbones. Lance shook his head hard.

“Well… Don’t make yourself eat that, Lance,” Hunk said with a small pat on his shoulder, assuming Lance had stopped eating and shook his head from dislike, not chest crushing memory, “I’m going to the kitchen to make us something… else. Not that this isn’t good, Coran. Which I’m sure it is! I’ve just finally got myself hooked on the space goo, I’m not sure I can take on another traditional Altean dish at the… I’m just… I’ll be back.” Hunk called as he walked off with a mission of his own.

Coran seemed a bit hurt when Lance put down his spoon, but he didn’t ask why Lance stopped his assault on the traditional mixture. Instead he took a second spoon and filled it pointing the utensil in Shiro’s direction. “Open up, here comes the food lion! Packed full of nutrients, yum yum!” he said, adding in zooming sounds and Shiro just stared. Lance felt a little bit of a chuckle threaten to spill from him when his Voltron leader stood up and muttered a ‘no… just no’.

“Where are you going, Shiro?” Lance asked, quick to take change his current thoughts. Keith looked like he was ready follow him but Shiro shook his head at him stopping Keith cold.

“I’m going to go check on Pidge.” He said quickly, side stepping Coran’s spoon and heading from the room. Keith watched him leave, and seemed disappointed that Shiro hadn’t asked him to tag along. Lance was watching the dark haired Paladin’s disappointment morph into irritation as he caught Lance’s stare. They stood their awkwardly until Lance decided the best course of action was to help Coran try and convince Keith to give the Patanareax a taste. Lance was chasing Keith around the large table much to many human swears and had just caught him when Hunk reappeared with three dishes. Lance stopped short and Coran made a snorting sound as Hunk placed the dishes before them adding a little garnish, a big grin on his face. Lance and Keith let go of their wrestling grips on each other and sat down before the plates, digging in. Sadness again pushed ‘aside’ and replaced by hunger.

“Oh, Hunk! This is amazing!” Lance said through a full mouth. He did however, reach other and take more bites of Coran’s masterpiece, which seemed to appease the older Altean. Despite the fact that each bite made him feel a little sick. Allura walked in, two Altean mice on each shoulder and she sniffed the air letting out a sigh, “Coran! It seems the Paladin Lunch is going well!” She said, sitting down next to her brother and began to search for a utensil of her own. Lance sat back in his chair, his stomach refusing to allow him to eat anymore, espcieally while still in his armor and he gave a satisfied groan. “Here,” Lance said, handing his used spoon to Allura, who took it without a thought and ate the remaining bites of the Patanareax and some of the dish Lance couldn’t finish. Which was perfect. It saved Lance from himself and… himself.

“Hunk, Coran, this is wonderful!” she exclaimed, looking over the chair she was in to Hunk who had a proud grin on his face. That was until the castle’s alarm started blaring.

“Are we under attack?” Hunk asked, or more shouted.

Lance and Keith jumped up from the chair’s they were in and turned to the screen Allura brought up. It showed the parameter of the castle, and of a small horned creature scurrying up to the main entrance. It had a makeshift weapon made from a kind of shell, and it did a little dodging roll behind some bushes.

“Aww, what is that?” Hunk asked, his panic gone.

“It could be dangerous, I’ll go check it out.” Keith cut across, but Allura held up a hand.

“Keith, Altean’s believe in peace first. It must be a local Arusian. We must greet them, after all they have been our neighbors for ten thousand years.”

“It’s so cute!” Hunk said, following Allura and Coran as they left the mess hall. Lance dematerialized his Bayard, he hadn’t even known he had drawn it form his armor. Keith was staring at him, and though he had put away his Bayard, Keith did not.

“Maybe we could knit it a sweater!” Lance said, blowing Keith’s wariness off as he grabbed his helmet from the table and followed Hunk and his twin. They took the steps down to the Lion sized doors that were at the head of the castle, and as they opened, Lance picked up on a small shriek of the small alien rustling in the leaves. Allura walked out in all of her grace and leaned over gently to the bush they all knew it had hidden beneath, “Hello there my friend. Do not be afraid. We know you are in there. No harm will come to you. Please, come out.”

Lance watched as the little Arusian burst from the bushes, its weapon drawn. Keith lifted his Bayard, it reformed into his sword and he moved to stand in front of Lance and Allura, “Be careful, he could be dangerous.”

“Does he look dangerous to you?” Lance asked.

“Anything or anyone with a weapon can be dangerous, Lance.” Keith said quickly and Allura reached out and placed a hand on Keith’s shoulder. He looked back at her and seemed put out that he was being shut down two times in a row. The little creature lowered its weapon and Lance listened to it, his name was Klyzap, tell Allura that he was the bravest warrior in his village and that he had come to investigate the changes in the Lion Goddesses Castle.

“Bravest warrior, what do you mean?”

“Fire has rained down on us from on high. A giant angel has danced in the sky above us and the ground has shook from the angel’s wrath!”

Hunk leaned over toward Lance, “I think he’s talking about us. About Voltron,” he whispered.

“Yeah, I’m getting that.” Lance replied, arms crossing over his chest as he watched his sister do what she was so very good at. Being a fair and adored Princess.

“The Lion Goddess is angered with us. We must atone.”Klyzap said quickly, and Allura smiled sweetly at him.

“Oh Bravest Warrior. Your Lion Goddess is not angered at you. And no atonement is needed.”

“Then how do you explain the changes in the Goddess’ Palace?” he inquired, his little eyes narrowing and Lance heard Hunk give out another ‘aww’.

“I know because this is my Castle, and the ‘angel’ you saw was Voltron, the protector of the Universe.” She said in a matter of fact tone.

Klyzap’s small featured seemed to widen as he gaped, “Lion Goddess!” he said as he bowed deeply to Allura, “Please, you must come to the village! Meet the high priest, share your wisdom with us!” he cried out, grabbing Allura by her royal robes gently and started to tug her along towards his village. Allura looked over at Lance with a questioning look and Lance just smirked, “I follow the ‘Lion Goddess’.” He said and Allura stared at him with a slight irritated twitch of her ears.

“Yes, yes. All are welcome! Come. Follow Klyzap, Bravest of Warriors!”

Lance just shrugged at his sister as she was tugged along. Coran followed and Hunk was close behind. He kept opening and closing his hands into fists as if he was trying to stop himself from picking up the small Arusian. Lance glanced back at Keith, who was standing there a little dumbfounded as to what exactly had just taken place. Lance waved him forward, “Come on, Keith. Might be an ambush or something.”

Keith dematerialized his Bayard and scowled. But he followed them anyway down the path leading away from the Castle of Lions.

***

They were a strange little race of creatures. Allura was finally released from Klyzap’s hold when they reached the village square. She looked around and smiled politely as dozens of Arusian’s popped from their homes and small businesses to greet them. A large one approached them, and began to chant off some ancient scripture in ‘honor’ of the Lion Goddess’s arrival and Lance had to physically stop Hunk from trying to pick a nearby Arusian while they waited. Music began to play from somewhere, and the high priest presented another Arusian to dance the ‘Dance of Apology’. Which seemed a far better alternative than the Sacrifice of Apology they had lined up just in case. And then the hugging began. Lance couldn’t help but laugh when Keith was bombarded by small snail like creatures who jumped up and hugged him around the waist, and one on each leg. Hunk had about six in his arms and was squeezing them much to the delight of the Arusian’s and Lance was surrounded by what he figured were many children of the race. Allura was conversing with the village high priest, telling him about Voltron, and how now that they had been able to form Voltron, the Arusian’s and all the Galaxy would be safe. It seemed as though the more primitive race did not fully grasp her words, but spoke of future prophecy and for scribes to write down her words. Allura eventually gave up and just smiled as Coran joined Hunk in the cuddle fest that was erupting around them.

“-eith come in! Lance! Hunk! Do you read?”

Lance looked down at his helmet, which a smaller female Arusian child was playing with, “Did you hear that?” he asked Allura. The little girl held up the helmet and Lance thanked her as he placed it on his head.

Keith was way ahead of him, “Shiro. Come in. What was that?”

“-Galra. Pidge – we – need back up!” Shiro came in again through the comms, his words were cutting out, and as Lance was about to ask Shiro to confirm that he had pinpointed another Galra ship, he saw it. A large carrier ship slammed into the earth some ways from the village.

“Paladins!” Allura called, picking up two Arusian’s as she did so, “Shiro and Pidge need you! Go, now! The rest of you. Please, go inside, where you will be safe!”

“Got it!” Hunk said, running with the small natives to their small houses. Keith grabbed him by the collar of his armor and dragged him in the opposite direction scolding a ‘not you’ which left Hunk to whimper out a ‘fine’.

Lance ran towards the Castle, he was trying to calculate how long it was going to take him to make it back up the path and to his Lion; then to Shiro and Pidge. He hated maths.

“Pick up the pace, Hunk!” Keith called out behind him and Hunk panted out a grunted response. Lance didn’t listen however as he reached out and grabbed Keith by the arm, stopping him mid run. “What are you doing?” Keith snapped, yanking his arm free from Lance’s grip.

Lance glared at him, “Trying to save you some energy, hot head. Look.” Lance said, pointing above Keith’s head. Blue, Red and ‘Low were speeding towards them, and as they landed Hunk ran straight to ‘Low, “Oh thanks, buddy. Saved him so running. I hate running.” He said disappearing into his lion.

Blue bent down, opening her jaws so Lance could make his way to the cockpit. He held onto one of Blue’s metal fangs as she lifted her head, Lance securely in her mouth, “You just going to stare at me all day, or are we going to help Shiro and Pidge?” he yelled. Lance gave a jerk like smirk at Keith, who just continued to glare as he adjusted his own helmet.

“Guys, come on, we gotta go!” Hunk said, his voice ringing in Lance’s ears via helmet comms.

Lance slid into Blue’s cockpit chair and gripped her controls, “Don’t tell me. We’re waiting on Keith.”

“Shut up. I’m ready, let’s go.” Keith snapped, obviously unimpressed by Lance’s comments. Lance shook his head and reached out, tapping the open space to his left where Blue opened up a screen of where the Black and Green Lion’s were in proximity to them. Lance pressed a finger to the screen and swiped it to the forefront of Blue’s monitors.

“They’re seven miles west of our position,” Hunk called.

“I see them.” Keith replied.

“Me too.” Lance said through gritted teeth as a loud whirling filled his ears the closer they got to their missing Paladins. “Do you guys hear that?” he asked. Keith and Hunk’s screens popped up to his right. Hunk was looking around his own cockpit trying to pinpoint the apparent sound, Keith was shaking his head.

“You really don’t hear it?” Lance asked again, he closed his eyes to see through Blue’s. She caught sight of Shiro and Pidge’s Lions. Both had been thrown to the hard desert like landscape beneath them. But Lance couldn’t see any Galra ships in the atmosphere. “Blue, you hear it right?” he asked aloud.

“Lance, you’re hearing things! Go cover Pidge, I’m going to get Shiro,” Keith barked out his plan and Lance was about to nod, when Blue alarms started to go off. A pink and purple energy, “- Keith look out!” Lance yelled, but not before the energy weapon slammed into Red’s side, sending her colliding into ‘Low and to the sand below. The ball swivled around them and shot back to a massive club that was being held by a large robotic beast.

“Lance! Look out for that weapon! It’s like a boomerang!” Pidge’s face popped up over Keith’s and Hunk’s.

“A bommewhat?” Lance asked, as the energy wrecking ball was swung at them again. This time, though Blue maneuvered and spun in attempts to lose it, she was struck all the same. They were thrown to the hard packed sand beneath them and Blue growled in frustration alongside Lance. “What the hell is that…?”

“I don’t know. But the only way we’re going to defeat it is together.” Shiro’s voice said with an authority Lance was slowly starting to admire. Blue nodded in time with Lance, “Got it.”

“Form Voltron!”


	7. There is no 'I' in Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being able to form Voltron and run battle drills in one thing. But as their second opponent as Team Voltron is lined up before them, all the training isn't seeming to be much help. They're still bickering, still not moving exactly as a unit, and because of it, Blue is paying the price. (A little Lance feels? Oh sure, yes please! This is a tiny chapter that I just felt needed to stand on it's own... so sorry it's so short! I should have a 'proper' chapter up by the end of the week, full of sabotage and bonding moments!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you thank you for all the hits, comments, kudo's, bookmarks and encouragement! Especially the encouragement! Y'all are awesome and I adore you!! Like deeply, it isn't even funny *finger guns*. But as always, any questions, comments, thoughts, suggestions,corrections, Shakespearean quotes, all welcome and so so appreciated!

“I thought this thing was supposed to be the most powerful weapon in the Universe, Lance?” Keith shouted as they were thrown down by another energy ball hit to the chest.

“Why are we getting our butts handed to us!” Hunk yelled instead of asked, “We can’t keep this up. If we watch it, we get hit with the stupid ball thing, we watch the ball thing he hits us with… with him!”

“Hunk, Lance! We need to get back up.” Shiro ordered over the comms.

“Come on Blue, we have this.” Lance said soothingly to the groaning metal of his Lion. Being connected together as Voltron made them more powerful. There was no doubt about that, but it always put a strain on the ‘legs’. As a unit they pushed themselves up, and Keith and Pidge maneuvered their Lion’s an offensive position.

“Keith, use your canon. Pidge, you too!” Shiro commanded. Red moved into position and fired, ‘Rald followed suit, and before she could fire, the ‘wings’ on Voltron’s back disconnected and slammed together before ‘Rald forming a shield. “No, canon Pidge. Not the shield.”

“Oops, I can fix this, hold on – ah!” Pidge yelled as they were hit again.

“Shiro, what do we do?” Keith asked, using Red to push themselves up again with the help of Blue and ‘Low. Shiro didn’t respond. All Lance heard was his labored breathing through the comms. “Shiro!” Keith said, this time a little louder.

“I think…” Shiro said, his voice a little shaky, “I think I’ve fought against this Gladiator before.”

“That huge robot beast thing?” Hunk questioned, “When, in Galra Guantanamo?”

“Yes? I just… when Matt’s brother and I were forced to fight in those Gladiator matches.”

“What? Gladiator matches? You never-” Keith said in unison with Lance.

“I’ll tell you all about it later. But the point is, I beat him then, and I know how to beat him now. Lance,” Shiro said his name sharply, and Lance focused in on his leader’s words, “You said you could hear that thing, right? When I fought him before he could use his weapon in succession three times before it had to recharge for another attack. Can you tell, or I guess hear if that is the same now?”

“We’re about to find out!” Pidge cried out, “In coming!”

Lance and Hunk tried to jump them back, but the third hit struck them in the chest, throwing Voltron again to the hard packed dirt. Lance winced at they skidded along the ground but he listened hard. That whirling electronic sound became louder and he watched on the monitors as the energy ball returned to the top of the club the beast held. The whirling sound began to have tiny breaks in it, like it was pulsating, recharging. He reached out to his right and triple tapped the screen, Shiro’s face opened up on the screen, “Shiro, it’s recharging. I can not be positive unless we do another set, but he’s hit us three times. So I’m going with a yes.”

“Then he’s vulnerable. Keith, Pidge! Give him everything we got!”

Hunk and Lance pushed Voltron back up into an offensive stance while Keith and Pidge fired. The canon plasma hit against the beasts chest causing a chain reaction of explosions, and they all cheered. That was until that damned plasma ball hit came at them again. Lance and Hunk used Blue and ‘Low’s thrusters to move them out of the weapon’s way, the plasma ball hitting a massive boulder. The boulder was crushed, and tumbled down to the village in the small valley below.

“Oh no, Shiro!” Lance called out, concern underlying his tone, “We have to protect the Arusian’s!”

“Draw him away from the village,” Shiro said through what Lance assumed was gritted teeth. The screen the leader had been on had minimized.

“Got it,” Keith said, shooting canon blasts at the robot, drawing it back from the mesa drop down to the valley. He followed them away, much to Lance’s relief. “How did you kick his ass before, Shiro?” Keith asked as they dodged another punch from the robot beast, “We aren’t even making a dent in it with our canons.”

“I…” Shiro began, but he stopped. Lance triple tapped the monitor to his right again, bringing up the visual link to Shiro’s cockpit. Shiro or maybe it was Black, cut it almost as quickly as it was established. Something was wrong with the Black Paladin. And Lance could only imagine what it was. Being captive by the Galra would cause serious issues for anyone. It could break them. Even a solider like Shiro.

“Shiro,” Lance said with an attempt of encouragement, “How did you beat him before? More canon fire? Use his weapon against him somehow? Call him names?” he asked.

Shiro’s screen opened up to Lance’s right again, a small smile was on the Paladin’s lips. It seemed Lance’s inability to be serious when he was nervous or concerned had been useful after all. Shiro took a quick breath in and let it out through his nose as he drew on obviously painful memories, “When I beat him before. I had a sword. Don’t suppose this Voltron has one of those packed away somewhere does – Lance watch your three o’clock!”

Lance felt the hit before he saw it. The plasma ball had circled around them and hit Blue right in her side. Being that she was currently the leg of Voltron, she brought them all down as she crumpled to the earth. Hunk tried to lift them up, but even the bulky Yellow Lion couldn’t handle all of Voltron’s weight alone.

“Lance!” Keith called as he and Pidge lifted their Lion’s in a defensive manner above them as a third hit came down on them, “Lance! We need to get up!”

The plasma ball flung back to its setting place on their opponents club, recharging itself for another round. Lance pulled on the controls before him and Blue struggled to respond. She moved as directed, but the damage she had taken to her side was making it difficult for her to help ‘Low keep them up and steady. She managed to get them up to a half kneeled position when Lance heard the clicking and whirling of the plasma ball being fully recharged. The robot stood over them and lifted up the club, swinging it down which in turn flung the energy weapon down on them. Lance assumed the robot aimed for him and Blue again because Blue was already in a compromised position. This time when the blow at Voltron’s legs hit, Blue took it full force. Lance was jarred to the left, his body tensing as he tried to keep himself in his cockpit chair. When the second hit came, Lance was glad he still had his helmet on because the back of his head hit against one of monitors. He tasted blood, and swallowed it quickly as he looked around for a status on Blue’s damages. Blue’s alarms were blaring and Lance was unbuckling himself to try and stop the small plumes of smoke that were starting to rise form her systems as she tried to compensate.

“We can’t take another one of those!” Pidge called out.

“If Blue takes another hit she may be permanently damaged! Do something!” Lance snapped as panic started to fill him.

“My Lion’s telling me what we should do,” Keith’s voice said a little unsure over the comms. “She’s so loud!”

“Trust her!” Lance said.

“Lance is right, we have to trust our Lions. Keith. Do it!”

“Now, now, now!” Lance yelled as he reached out in a stupid gesture of trying to protect Blue by draping his body over her main console. Keith gave out a growl that turned into a scream, and Red lit up, her and ‘Rald slammed against each other and began to glow. When Red pulled away from ‘Rald, she was grasping a sword between her jaws. Blue and white and shimmering with an energy sheen. The ball missed them as Hunk and ‘Low used their strength to slide them out of the way.

“Lance, Hunk, if we’re doing this we need to do this now.” Shiro shouted. Lance nodded, slipped back into his control chair and despite Blue’s metal groaning she stood up tall beneath the weight above them she gave a weak purr. Almost as though she was trying to tell him that she was okay. Lance bit his lip as he waited for the command, and when Shiro gave it, they launched forward, thrusters on full capacity. Hunk was screaming. Pidge was too. Keith struck with a precision which might have given a little justification for that little knife he always carried at the base of his spine. Apparently, it wasn’t just some fashion statement as Lance first thought. When they skidded to a halt, Blue went down to a kneeling position and Lance was patting her soothingly while Keith and Red held out their sword ready for another attack. Lance watched through the monitor screens as the club fell from the robots hand, and a line of explosions ran up its core to its head as it split in half. “Whoa…” Lance muttered as Blue pushed herself back up so Voltron could stand. It wasn’t as though Lance hadn’t seen Voltron’s many weapons. Many abilities. But each time was breathtaking. Was unbelievable.

“Feel free to thank me anytime, your highness.” Keith said smugly.

“For doing your job?” Lance replied, and he swore he could hear Keith’s glare.

“For saving your ass you… you ass!”

“Keith. Lance. Give it a rest, just enjoy the win.” Shiro sighed as the sword dematerialized and Pidge’s shield returned to Votron’s back. They waited an extra minute to make sure that the robot beast was really down, and then separated. Blue landed a little roughly once she was no longer attached to her fellow Lion’s. She was holding up one of her front legs, and Lance had to beg her to bring up her damage reports for him to see. It was bad, but fixable. The castle’s automatic repairs should be able to have her set within a few hours, but he couldn’t help but feel an anger well within him. Blue never should have gotten hit this hard.

“Hey, Lance. How is she?” He heard Hunk ask, but Lance didn’t answer as he started to determine which of her ‘injuries’ should be attended to first once they were back in the Hall of Lion’s.

“Hunk asked a question, feel like answering?” Keith asked, his face popping up on a screen and Lance had to fight back a snarl. He was glad he had his helmet still on for the second time because he could see his glint in his peripheral. He did not want Keith to see that, granted they had no idea what it meant, but still, “She’ll be fine.” He snapped.

Keith glared behind his visor, “Feel like being a little more appreciative there, Mr. High-and-mighty? I only saved your life.”

“Would it make you feel better if I thanked you, Keith? Is that what you want?” Lance bit out and he heard Hunk try to calm them down. Lance tuned the calming words from his mind as he returned the glare Keith was sending him through the screen. If Keita had been here this never would have happened. If Lance hadn’t trusted Zarkon the way he did, hadn’t wanted so desperately for them all to get along, to be friends, none of this would have happened. She wouldn’t be dead. Hadrian and Matoria would still be able to pick on him in that loving friend like way they always did. His Father… his father wouldn’t be just a A.I. program that he couldn’t get himself to talk too because he was ashamed. The Universe wouldn’t have been enslaved to a sociopathic dictator.

“Yeah. You know what, maybe I do. You spoiled, piece of-”

“Keith!” Pidge cut in.

Lance wanted to cut him down, if only they were in the simulator he could do just that. Words would have to work for now. “Fine. Since it seems to be the only way you can function, I’ll tell you all the things that I am oh so thankful to a wisplap like you fo-” Lance was cut off as Blue shook herself hard and growled. At him.

“That. Is. Enough!” Shiro yelled, his Black Lion landing between Blue and Red. “You two, like it or not are part of a team now. You don’t need to like each other, but you WILL work together. This is bigger than either of you. Got it? Get your Lion’s back to the Castle. I am going to check on Allura and Coran. Lance start on Blue’s repairs, Keith, you help him if he needs it, if not, stay away from him. Hunk… Keep an eye on them both. And Pidge… we need to talk.”

“Yes, sir.” Keith breathed out.

“Loud and clear,” Lance said, swiping his hand over the screens of his teammates that had popped up, minimizing them. Though Lance did not like it, Shiro was right. But it didn’t stop the fact that just looking at Keith in that armor, working with Red, being friends with Shiro, it all reminded him so much of Keita. She had been good friends with Zarkon, almost paralleled to Keith and Shiro. It was a respected adoration of someone you looked up too, that you trusted. It wasn’t fair to either of the new Paladin’s, but it didn’t change the fact that it caused a pain, an anger within him that mixed with his already self-hated devastation. Blue was purring again, deep in his mind and he felt her reassurances vibrate in his chest. “I know Azu… I’m being an ithanrum, aren’t I?” He felt her nod. “Well you don’t need to be so happy about it. Rude… Let’s get you back to the Hall. Start on fixing that leg.” She nodded again, and slowly launched herself up into the air around them in sync with Hunk and Keith. Pidge stayed behind with Shiro.

“Hey, Lance…” Hunk asked tentatively as they landed in the Hall, “You okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks Hunk. Sorry I blew up back there.”

“You didn’t blow up at me, so we’re good. But Keith isn’t a bad guy you know… he’s blunt, and not exactly socially graceful like yours truly.” Hunk said, stepping from ‘Low in time with Lance from Blue. Lance watched as Red landed on the opposite side of the hall. Keith stepped out, and she moved her metallic bulk across the shiny surface of the hall floor to sit down next to Blue. Keith walked over and stood some fifteen feet away with his arms crossed over his chest.

“So, do you need help or can I go?” Keith said bitterly, and Lance took a deep breath.

“No, I got it.” Lance said quickly. He looked at Hunk, who was giving him encouraging hand gestures to continue. Lance wasn’t going to apologize. Never. But he took another deep breath and pulled off his helmet. His ears drooped a bit as he grit his teeth, “Keith,” Keith glared at him, and Lance returned the glare before looking away, “Thanks.”

“Yeah.” Keith grunted out and turned to leave, “I’ll be in the simulator.”

Lance heard him walk way, but he didn’t bother to watch because he was focused on Blue. Red was nuzzling her gently and Lance looked over at Hunk, “So… I lied and so do not have this. You any good with Lion repairs?”

Hunk was grinning, “I’ve been known to dabble.”

“So… yes?”

“Yes. But Pidge would be a good third set of eyes. Where is he?”

Lance was standing before Blue and was sweet talking her into putting her paw down. “He’s with Shiro, remember? They had to talk. I think that’s what really bothering him.”

“Who?”

“Keith.”

“What?” Hunk asked, standing beside him as Blue gave in and set her paw flat on the stone floor of the Hall.

Lance had carefully crawled up onto Blue’s large claws, standing up on the top of her paw as he reached up to the singed metal, “Keith. I think he’s upset that Shiro spends so much time with Pidge.”

Hunk was scrambling up next to Lance with tools Lance wasn’t sure where he had gotten them from. Hunk moved Lance out of the way gently and reached up taking off a massive panel exposing Blue’s inner circuits in her leg. He handed the panel to Lance who just held it as he watched. “What do you think they’re doing?” Hunk asked, and Lance shrugged.

“Didn’t I overhear that Pidge’s older brother and father were captured with Shiro by the Galra?”

“Yeah… I didn’t know until recently. Keith found out when Shiro and Pidge were rescuing Red. He didn’t say anything but – here hold this – Pidge ended up telling me I guess to avoid any misinformation. But I kind of figured. I mean… Pidge looks like Matt Holt. But their last names are different. I kind of just figured maybe cousins? Or – okay hold this right here, and that there, wait, is she growling? No, not a growl. We’re good – maybe same father different mother? Anyway if Shiro was with Matt and Professor Holt when they went missing, it makes sense that Pidge would want to know everything Shiro knows. Though Shiro really can’t remember.”

Lance was grinning as Hunk went about his work and he helped when he could. But Lance was a pilot, not an engineer. Hunk worked his magic and within two hours, Blue was able to lift her leg up and back down with full motion. “That’s about all I can do… is there any tests or something you need to do or…?” Hunk asked as he slid off the giant paw and Lance joined him. Lance looked up at Blue, “Azu, run a complete internal scan, okay beautiful?” Lance asked, and the massive lion’s head nodded once than sat back, her eyes dimming as she began her self-diagnostics.

“You are amazing, Hunk. You cooked for me, you fixed up my baby, is there anything you cannot do?”

Hunk was blushing and Lance couldn’t help but grin, “But seriously, thank you Hunk.” He said looking back at Blue, “Outside of Allura and Coran… Blue is the only thing I have left…”

“Not the only thing, Lance. You have us now. All of us. We’re a team. And don’t thank me, I just fixed Blue up. After she finishes her scans let’s make sure she really is good to go. Now once I make you my famous Cheesecake, then. Then you can thank me.”

“Cheesecake?" Lance said, making slightly disgusted face because the sound of it alone... did not seem apetizing, Hunk however swore by it and Lance jut nodded to his friend, "Alright. Until then, let’s get out of this armor, huh?” Lance asked, and Hunk nodded.

“Then a snack. This protecting the universe is hungry work.”

“You got it, buddy.”

***

Lance was heading down the corridor to his room because he wasn’t sure where else he was supposed to go. Shiro and Pidge had come back within the varga of Blue finishing her self-diagnostics, and they seemed to be good. And Pidge looked a little… relieved. Which Lance wasn’t sure what that was about, but he tried to not think too much on it. If Pidge wanted to tell him, he would. As soon as he got to his room, he opened the metallic sliding door and just stood there, staring through it into the darkness of the room. He placed his hand over the keypad that controlled the door and shut it. He was so tired, but he didn’t want to sleep. At least not in that room. He stood there like an idiot, opening and closing his room door again and again until he finally shut it, locked it and walked back down the hall. He heard his steps as he moved down the shining hallways, and it did nothing to help his thinking on what exactly he wanted to do. He wasn’t hungry but he was. He didn’t want to go train, though he knew he should. He didn’t want to do anything, and yet wanted to do everything. It was a strange sensation he really didn’t like. Lance had always been so decisive. He knew what he wanted and he would go for it. Full force, no bars held. In fact, it was apparently one of his best and worst attributes, which never really made sense to him. How could something be one of the positive and yet negative things about you? As he wandered the castle, he came to his Father’s ‘room’, where Allura had consulted with him and had spent a majority of her free time within. He put his hands in the pockets of the Altean civvies he had borrowed from Coran. They were tight fitting like his Paladin armour and he felt so much more comfortable in them than the silky flowiness of his own robes. Unlike the older Altean’s, Lance had modified the attire, getting rid of the gloves, removed the rank adornments and refused to fasten the top all the way up to his neck. It was suffocating. Coran had looked like he was going to have a fit when Lance left with the traditional clothing haphazardly fastened up to the collar bone instead of the jugular, the collar unanchored and open. Lance had wanted to get rid of the knee-high boots too, but he had nothing else to wear, and though obnoxious, they were incredibly comfortable. Despite the fight to get them from Coran, he was so very glad he had. Lance reached out for the door pad, maybe he should talk to his father. Tell him he was sorry. Ask him what he should do. Tell him about the new Paladins. How they fight, how they bicker and yet have a bond between them Lance wasn’t sure he could ever be a part of; Lance scoffed at himself, “Goddess of the Sloth, get a grip, Lance.” He muttered to himself, “It doesn’t matter if you get to be a part of their little group. You just have to work with them to defeat Zarkon. To kill him…”

“You know, talking to yourself isn’t exactly a good thing, right?”

Lance ripped his hand away from the key pad as Shiro walked up behind him. He turned sharply and forced a grin, “Acutally, Shiro. I’m pretty sure monologing is healthy.”

“Well, as long as no world dominating views come along with it,” Shiro said with a smile, and Lance returned it, pretending he knew what his leader was talking about. He was in his Paladin armor, and Lance straightened quickly.

“Is there trouble? Do we need Voltron?”

“What? No, Allura invited the Arusian’s to the castle for a celebration. Or more… the Arusian’s invited themselves. They’re everywhere. Allura sent me to find you.”

“Oh… Formal attire?” Lance said with a laugh.

“Everyone else is back in their Paladin armor. Is that… is that formal?” Shiro asked.

“For a Paladin, yes. I’ll go change and meet you in the main hall?”

“Yeah,” Shiro said a little distractedly, “The doors are wide open…”

“I think it’ll be fine. A little party never hurt anyone.” Lance said as he started down the hall to the armory. Shiro placed a hand on his shoulder gently and Lance stopped, looking back at his leader.

“Lance. Even though you and Keith don’t get along, that we’re different, that doesn’t mean you aren’t a part of this team. We would be lost without you. I mean, none of us have any idea what we’re doing. We are all in this together. Okay?”

“Lost without me, huh?” Lance grinned and Shiro made a face that perhaps he had laid on the compliments too thick, like he should take it back but Lance pointed at him and took a few steps down the hall, “Nope! No take backs! I’ll meet you down there.” He said his smug grin turning quickly into a soft but still self-doubting smile, which threatened to give away how he really was feeling. Or maybe it was the embarrassment that Shiro had heard him rambling to himself, fantastic. “Thanks, Shiro.”

“Anytime. That’s what teammates are for.” Shiro smiled back and turned in the opposite direction as Lance.

“Yeah... yeah they are.”


	8. Fall of the Castle of Lions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing bad can happen at a party, right? Allura has invited the Arusian's to share in a night of celebration to the victory of Voltron and the little horned natives are beyond happy to present a dedicated play, sing songs and recite new poems to the great victory. It's the perfect night of drinking, of cheer; and the perfect distraction for an attack. Shiro was right, they had left the doors wide open... how could Allura be so trusting? How could Lance, or Coran? The crystal that powers the ship has been damaged, the Lion's are trapped in their Hall and the Paladin's have nothing to fight with but themselves. Nothing bad ever happens at parties.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... you all have given my little Altean! Lance AU 3000 hits, and I just... Thank you! I appreciate all the hits, the comments, and the kudos! And as every previous chapter, any suggestions, love, hate, requests or corrections are always welcome. I But more than anything, thank you for reading me fic and still liking it! I hope I have kept it interesting!! <3

“And the monster fell from the sky! Leaving the Voltron victorious!”

Lance laughed alongside Hunk as two stacks of Arusian’s reenacted the battle between Voltron and the robotic beast. The ‘stack’ of Arusian’s meant to be Voltron collapsed on the grand staircase they were putting their production on, and the large Aursian leader coughed. “No no. Leaving the Voltron victorious!” he repeated, and they scrambled back up, sending the other set of stacked Arusian’s to the floor. They all erupted into cheers and Lance joined in the clapping.

“Hey, we should do that.” Hunk said, grabbing Keith who had been standing by himself in the corner and dragged him over to Lance.

“Do what?”

“Get our own cheer. For Voltron.”

Lance reached up and stroked his chin in thought, “I got it, I got it, how about this.” He cleared his throat, “When I say Vol, you say Tron. Vol.”

Hunk grinned, and Keith looked genuinely confused. He blinked as he processed than looked over at Lance, “Vol…tron?”

“No. Listen, the rules are in the cantella. When I say Vol, you say Tron. Vol?” Lance repeated.

“Voltron.”

Lance rolled his eyes, “We’ll work on it.”

Keith didn’t say anything back, which Lance found surprising but he didn’t push it as the brooding Red Paladin sniffed his drink. Lance sipped it and made a face. Even though it was an Altean beverage, and he had grown up with it, didn’t mean it was any good. “Coran!” He said with a cough, “This tastes absolutely awful!”

Coran sighed, “Yes, tastes like home doesn’t it?”

Lance frowned a little, but nodded, “A part of home, yeah.” He took another sip and felt a physical shiver run up him at his disgust with the taste.

“What do you miss most?” Keith asked suddenly. Lance looked back to the Red Paladin, he was ready to snap a nasty remark when he caught Keith’s stare, “Not looking for a fight, I just want to know. I don’t miss anything about Earth.”

Hunk was looking between them, and even Coran shrugged, “I suppose what I miss most is Altean Ratte Blatha.”

Lance grimaced, “You would Coran.”

“Uh… do I want to know what that is?”

“We have these races back home... I mean,” Lance reached out into the space between them, tapping in mentally with the castle to open up a small holographic screen. He pulled from the castle logs and brought up an image of the Altean Ratte. Hunk leaned over and stared at the screen and Keith arched a brow.

“Looks like a wombat… but scalier. You race these?”

“A wombat? Well… kind of. They don’t exactly move quickly, it’s a 36 varga race and Coran… use to show Ratte, right?”

“Yeah…” Coran said with a wistful sigh, “It was a noble sport. We all took great care of our Ratte. And the races! Number three, you would have loved them. Ah! Fiotonia! Now I’ve gone and got the remebertalears! Excuse me!”

Keith and Hunk blinked in confusion as Coran downed the rest of his drink, handed his cup to a passing floating tray and walked quickly head down from the grand hall. Lance minimized the screen, “Do you really not miss anything about your home planet?” he asked as he took another sip of his drink and almost spat if back out. He quickly put his cup down on another floating by tray with a small amount of relief getting it away.

Keith shrugged, “No, not really. All I had was the Garrison and Shiro. He went missing and then I was kicked out-”

“You were kicked out? Hunk didn’t say that!” Lance smirked, but Hunk hushed him.

Keith’s arms were crossed over his chest defensively, “Impulse control and disciplinary issues. It doesn’t matter, look, Lance. There is nothing on Earth I miss.”

“I miss almost everything...” Lance said softly, “About Altea. I can’t imagine not missing anything about where you’re from.”

“Must be nice.”

Lance tried not to roll his eyes, he looked at Hunk instead, “Do you miss anything from Earth, Hunk?”

“I…” Hunk gulped down his drink and started to fixate on the rim of the cup, dragging an index finger around the edge nervously, “Um, Earth? Lots of things, like pancakes, scampi, plate lunch… oh poke. I miss poke.”

“What’s pohkey?”

“It’s a fish. Well it’s a dish made from raw fish and herbs, spices, sometimes a little bit of lime.”

“Fish… got it… what’s a fish?”

“They… they live in the ocean? Earth is 75 percent water, or oceans. You had oceans on Altea, right? You had to have had fish?” Keith cut in, looking at Lance as though he had asked the most stupid question ever proposed in the universe. Lance glared and Hunk grinned, “It’s okay Lance. I keep,” He elbowed Keith, “We keep forgetting you’re from a completely different place than us. It’s an animal that can be eaten. But you want to know what else I miss? Oreo’s. Chocolate covered strawberry oreo’s. Man you have not LIVED until you’ve tried those. They come out around Valentine’s day.”

“Valentine’s day?” Lance asked, forgetting that ‘you dumb ass’ look from Keith.

“A holiday on earth.” Hunk answered.

“Holiday?”

“Yeah, it’s a day or season that we celebrate a certain interpretation of an event in history, or… religion?” Keith offered, obviously attempting to make nice, under Hunk’s stare.

“Relig – wait, never mind. Is that all you miss? Food? And Keith, you don’t miss anything?” Lance asked, looking at the Yellow Palaidn.

Keith shrugged and scanned the crowd of Arusian’s and Lance noted that Keith’s dark gaze lingered on Shiro. Who was standing on the edge of the ‘party’, surveying the entrance to the castle. Lance side glanced back to Hunk who was kicking at the tile beneath them but said nothing else. Lance reached out and patted Hunk on his broad shoulder, “Don’t worry about it. Though I think I would like your Pancakes, more than Cheesecake.” He said with a smile.

Keith snapped back into their conversation, “I miss Cheesecake.”

Hunk looked a little relieved and he was back to smiling with the question dropped, and Lance arched a brow at Keith, “See, you do miss something about Earth.” Keith huffed, and Lance just grinned, “I think… I’m going to go check on Coran. He hasn’t come back yet.” Lance said in passing as he walked past Hunk and Keith. He walked up the grand stairs following where Coran had stormed off too and saw Allura leaning over the banister, her four little Altean mice chirping and squeaking at her. She laughed and Lance smiled. “Oh, that sounds like Lance. What other secrets have you learned? And Pidge… what? Really?” he heard her say and she leaned forward over the banister to peer down into the crowd. She was watching Pidge as he moved around the Arusian’s. Lance heard Allura whisper, “Are you sure? Oh I have got to look into this.” She said as she gliding down the stairs and Lance couldn’t help but smile at seeing her as close to happy as he’d seen since they woke up.

He could hear Coran’s sniffling all the way down the corridor as he approached the Castle’s control deck. He straightened up and was twisting his mustache as if nothing was wrong when Lance stepped through the sliding metallic doors, “Ah, Prince Lach-Lance. Did you need something?”

“Not really, just making sure you’re okay.”

“Oh. Oh yes, I’m just right. The remebertalears happen sometimes.” Coran said, his Alteabrand’s barely glinting, but Lance noticed.

“Coran… It’s alright. I understand. We lost everything.” Lance said with an attempt at a reassuring smile, “If we weren’t sad… we’d be sociopaths.”

“Lance. We lost Altea, but I didn’t lose everything.” Coran said, his hands linking together behind his back as he stood before one of the control consoles, “I still have you and Allura. We still have Voltron. We still have the Castle that my family built. We still have hope.”

Lance let out wry laugh, “You sound like Father.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, Lance.” Coran said with a soft smile and he held out his arms as if he wanted a hug. Or thought Lance wanted a hug. Lance crossed the yards between them and took advantage of the opportunity. It was comforting to be held, despite how childish it made him feel. Coran patted him on the back soothingly, and then they both coughed and let each other go, “Ahem, so… how far away is this Earth anyway? How far have our new friends traveled” Lance asked, changing the subject.

“Right, let’s see.” Coran said quickly, lifting up his hands and spreading them apart opening up a map of the galaxy. “Well we’re here, on Arus. And Earth, is all,.. the way…” he swiped his hands over and over pushing past the stars in the holographic image above them. He kept moving through the galaxy and Lance stared as planets, solar systems flew past, “Over here.”

“Do you ever notice how far apart the planets are?” Lance asked, staring up at the beautiful planetarium like map filling the space above them. “They’re so far away from their home…”

“It’s funny isn’t it?”

“What is?”

“That they’re so far away, and we’re so close to ours, and neither of us can go home.”

“Do you really think they’ll never get back?” Lance asked and Coran shrugged.

“I don’t know, Lance. The only way we’ll know is to defeat Zarkon.”

“Yeah.” Lance said, “You’re right.”

“Of course I am.” Coran said with a matter of fact tone that made Lance smile, “Let’s head back, Allura might be waist deep in Arusian’s by now.”

“That’s all she could be. They’re so small and cute.”

Coran closed the display above them, and ushered Lance back towards the metallic doors exiting the control deck. As the door opened, Lance heard the soft whirling of the reprogrammed Galra drone Pidge had brought back from Sendak’s ship. He lifted a hand in greeting to the small drone, “Hey, Rover.” Lance said as the drone floated by him. Lance paused, “Wait… where’s Pidge?” he asked aloud as Coran turned to look at why he stopped. Lance watched as the drone flew right to the central console of the control deck, the blueish white light throughout it flickered, turned purple starting to flicker faster, and faster, like a timer on a, “Coran, run!”

Everything was ringing, his skin was on fire and he couldn’t open his eyes. Someone was calling his name. Shiro? Keith? Maybe Allura? He couldn’t tell. He felt someone reach down and touch his throat, pressing fingers along the hollow of it and waited.

“I have a pulse.”

“Lachlan! Lachlan are you alright?”

There was Allura. She sounded out of breath, “Shiro! Is he alright?”

“He’s breathing and I have a pulse, but he’s hurt pretty bad.”

Heavy running steps slid to a stop somewhere nearby, “Then lets hurry and get him into one of those medical healer pod things!” Hunk said, and Lance felt his right arm being tugged on, “Keith help me with him.”

“We cannot, the crystal. It has been damaged. The healing pods cannot be operated.”

There were more hurried footsteps and many Arusian voices started to scream and echo within the damaged control deck. Lance groaned and he tried again to open his eyes and was hushed by someone softly.

“Please you must form the mighty Voltron! The village is under attack!”

“We have to get to our Lions.” Keith said quickly, but Allura said something about the Hall of Lion bay doors. The Lion’s were trapped inside. Blue was trapped. Lance tried to move again and another hand, a heavy one, a metallic one. Shiro held him down firmly and was muttering words like ‘easy’ and ‘it’s going to be okay’.

“Shiro, what are we going to do?”

“We need to get a new crystal.”

“Do you have a spare here in the castle?”

Lance was having a hard time keeping up with the panicked conversation his teammates were having. Coran was telling them they would have to go to a Balmera. But all the bay doors were shut. Pidge said something about having one door open for the ship he planned to take. To leave. Pidge was leaving? When did that happen? Coran shouted in relief that there was a Balmera nearby, that he and Hunk could go after a battle-class crystal. Allura agreed, and Shiro voiced his agreement too.

“The village! Will you not help us?”

“Of course we will.” Allura said with uncertainty.

“Keith,” Shiro said from above Lance, “Go with the Princess to the village. Hunk, you go with Coran to the Balmera. Pidge take them to your shuttle, I’ll stay with Lance. Stay in contact. Understood?”

There was more running, and Lance wanted to cry out as he was hoisted up from the control deck floor. Shiro was moving him away from the blast zone, but where Lance couldn’t tell.

“You’re going to make it, Lance. We’re lost without you, remember?” Shiro grunted as he made their way down some stairs, but then he stopped. Someone was laughing, it was a deep laugh, and Shiro tensed. He was set down on a cool bench. They were in the main entrance corridor that lead to the grand hall, where the party had been held. Lance was fading in and out of consciousness at this point, more out than in. But he could hear Shiro refuse to back down to the assailants, something about Druids? A newer model? And then Shiro was screaming in pain, and Lance blacked out.

***

Lance was yanked back into consciousness by the floor beneath him shaking, violently. Another explosion. He was able to crack his eyes open, and though his head was splitting he caught a glimpse of two Galra officers, and more Sentry’s then he could currently count. He was unbound, but it didn’t matter, Lance couldn’t exactly move. Shiro on the other hand, he was bound and there was blood dripping from a busted lip and a cut over his eyes.

“Haxus, what happened?” the larger of the two Galra snarled, and Lance recognized his voice, it was Sendak.

“The engine of the Castle. It has shut down.”

“It seems we have a saboteur still on the ship, fix it Haxus.”

Haxus muttered off in Galra and Lance couldn’t catch all of it as Haxus left the room and Lance shut his eyes. He heard Sendak start to pace and Lance tried to figure out just how many Sentry they had with them.

“You aren’t getting this ship, or Voltron.” Shiro said through gritted teeth. Shiro was hit and he fell over onto the tile next to Lance and Sendak laughed.

“I never thought you would have survived the Druid’s, Shiro. But after the games, you really did peak their interest. Little help your new arm did you though."

Lance tried to role over slowly and not grab any attention as he tried to access their situation. He was sure he had several broken ribs, because breathing was increasingly getting difficult and quite possibly a leg, because his efforts were not going so well. There were footsteps coming, Haxus was back, “I found a transmission… I am patching it through.”

“Pidge, have you made it too the Particle Barrier power conduits yet?”

Allura.

“Yes. Allura, this technology is so advanced; I don’t know if I can do this…”

Allura was talking Pidge through shutting down the Particle Barrier, seemingly from the outside and Sendak gave Haxas orders to intercept, “Kill the paladin.”

Shiro coughed as he pushed himself back up to a sitting position and scooted a little to the left to better cover Lance from Sendak’s view. He hung his head, but Lance heard him whisper, “Lance, you still with me?” He heard Shiro move around in his armor and tried to open his eyes, but yet again, he couldn’t. “I don’t know if you can hear me, but just hold on. I’ll get us out of this. Somehow.” Lance nodded, or at least he thought he nodded. Allura and Pidge were still talking, Allura giving instructions, Pidge acknowledging them. Pidge got quiet, and Allura did what she usually did when no one responded to her within two ticks. She started to repeat their name louder, and louder. Lance did the same thing, their father said they had learned it from their mother. Suddenly, Allura became quiet as blaster fire was heard over the intercoms and Pidge was yelling and the connection became static and shorted out.

“Seems your little friend, is dead.” Sendak said from far to their right. Lance tried to move to look up when a jolt of pain rocked through him, and he was out again.

When he was pulled back into consciousness this time, it was to Shiro being yanked away from him. The Black Paladin had kicked him on accident as he was pulled away and the new jolt made him more aware, instead of knocking him out again completely.

“Haxus! What is your status.” Sendak snapped.

“Haxus is gone.” Pidge’s voice rang out over the intercom, “And you’re next!”

“I suggest you turn yourself in, child. Or your friends will suffer the consequences.”

“What do you want?” Shiro cut as Sendak snapped his fingers and a Sentry solider grabbed Shiro by his scalp, pulling back his head. Lance strained to see what exactly was going on when Shiro started to fight and Sendak’s arm gave out an electronic shock that caused Shiro to yell out in pain. Pidge was calling out Shiro’s name in a panicked tone, and Sendak was laughing, in enjoyment of his work. Typical Galra monster. Shiro collapsed with a thud feet from him and Lance was grabbed by a Sentry and dragged over to where Shiro had landed. The Black Paladin was gasping for breath and Lance tried to reach out for him. Earning a strike to the chest from Sendak’s druish arm. Lance tasted blood in his mouth for the second time that day and he was not fan.

“I am impressed that you managed to escape. And then you ended up with the last of Altean Royalty. Interesting. Perhaps it would be worth a trip to your planet, to see if the rest of your kind have your spirit.” Sendak ignored Lance as he leaned forward and gripped Shiro by the collar of his armor, “Of course, they will all end up broken, like you.” Lance laid their gasping for quick breaths alongside his leader and almost did not hear the running steps and skids of someone down the hall.

“Shiro, Lance! Are you alright?” Pidge yelled as he pressed his smaller body to the doorframe out of Sentry fire. Sendak flung his clawed arm at the Green Paladin and Pidge ran, Sendak following after him. Lance heard the beeping of the particle barrier disengaging and more hurried steps. He tried to push himself up but was stopped as a heavy boot of a Sentry guard pressed down on his shoulder. There was a low grunt followed by laser blade sizzling into metal as the Sentry collapsed to the ground, behind it was a grinning Pidge. He leaned down and reached out to Shiro, “Shiro, wake up. It’s me, Pidge.” That was until Sendak grabbed Pidge with his massive claw druish hand, lifting him up and squeezing until Pidge let out a strained scream. Sendak grinned and spouted out that Pidge’s little holographic trick wouldn’t work on him.

The next few seconds were a blur. Lance saw Shiro lift himself up and slam into Sendak, who held fast to Pidge. He heard Keith and Allura’s voices. And not over the intercom, they were here. Keith was yelling, Allura was making her way over to the control console and Keith activated his Bayard. Shiro had shouldered Sendak again, and the Galra had thrown him back and Lance forced himself up. He did not remember doing it, but his Bayard was in his hands, it formed his ppasma gun and Lance opened both eyes and fired. His blast hit the Galra right in his shoulder, causing Sendak to drop Pidge and Keith attacked. Lance wasn’t sure what else transpired, because he had passed out again, landing against Shiro’s side as he did.

“Lance, are you okay?"

Lance groaned as he was gently lifted up from the cold metal ground. He expected Allura, or Hunk. Maybe Coran. He did not expect to open his eyes and see Keith’s dark normally glaring, but this time concerned stare.

“Lance, are you okay?” he repeated as he lifted one of Lance’s arms up over his head, and wrapped one of his own around Lance’s shoulder. Lance coughed lightly and he looked over at Keith and nodded.

“We did it. We are a good team.” He said softly and Lance swore he saw Keith smile. But it could have been delirium from the painful breaths he was taking, or the haziness from the explosion. “You’re smiling… it’s weird…” Keith’s smile was gone, but not before the dark haired paladin rolled his eyes and heaved Lance up.

“Let’s get you to that pea pod."

Allura was at his side, “We need to get you to a medical pod immediately, Shiro too. Coran should be back soon with the Crystal. It’s been almost nine varga’s.”

“Really?” Lance coughed, “That’s all?”

Allura laughed nervously, and Lance did not like the sound of it. It must have been worse than he thought. It was a painful process getting to the medical ward. But Lance was relieved when he was placed into the medical pod, he was trying to make sure Pidge and Shiro were okay but Allura shushed him. The last thing he saw before the anxiety inducing closing of the medical pod took him was Shiro being treated and Pidge telling Lance he was fine.

“After a day in here… you should be alright, Lachlan.” Allura said softly as the casing closed, and Lance was glad he was knocked out.

***

Lance groaned within his pod as he slowly started to regain consciousness. He heard voices, Allura, his fellow paladin’s, his new friends.

“I can’t tell if he looks healthy or not.” Hunk said and Lance heard a tap on the glass.

“I think he’s breathing weird. Do Altean’s breathe funny?” Pidge asked.

“Oh come on!” Keith groaned. Lance heard a slap.

“Not yet! A few more ticks.” There was Allura.

“How much better do you think he’s gonna get in a few more ticks?” Keith asked, an annoyed gruffness back in his tone. He really was impatient.

“And… um… what exactly is a tick?” Pidge questioned, the subject changing.

“You know, a time slice.”

“Like a second?”

“What… is a ‘second’?”

The voices became more distant as they must have left the immediate proximity of the medical pod. When the glass that incased him finally opened, Lance stumbled out of the pod. He felt better, but whoosy. Coran and Pidge had two tickers out and were measuring the differences between them, which made no sense and Lance yawned, walking over, “What are you guys doing? Having a ticker war?”

“Aw, Lance! You ruined it!” Hunk said with a whine as he turned to look at Lance. His brown eyes looked mildly annoyed and then alight with relief as he wrapped Lance in a crushing hug, “Lance! You’re okay!”

Lance was nodding and watched as Allura, Coran and the other three Paladin’s turned to look at him. Allura had her hands on his face as she checked him over, Keith was staring and Pidge was hugging Lance while Shiro smiled. “What happened?” Lance asked and Allura back away from him, her smile still on her face.

“Let’s get you walking and something to eat first.” Keith said suddenly, and Allura looked at him as though he had taken the words right out of her mouth.

“A walk? And a meal? Are you asking me out on a date?”

Hunk and Pidge laughed, Allura rolled her eyes and Shiro seemed in slight shock but he joined in Pidge’s laugh. Keith… Keith looked confused and then almost outraged.

“Oh, get… get over yourself, Lance!”

“Next time then.” Lance grinned with an added wink to further the glare settling in on Keith’s features. Lance was led down to the mess hall where Coran set a bowl of space goo before him and a spoon. Lance took a few bites, then held out his spoon for Allura’s mice to munch on as Pidge and Keith filled in Hunk and Coran with what happened.

“Sounds like the mice did more than you did, Keith.” Lance cut in, a sly smile on his face as the second to smallest mouse turned and looked at Keith, thrusting it’s little chest out in challenge.

“Excuse me? I was fighting Sendak almost hand to hand while you were passed out on the floor.”

“Hand to hand after I wounded him with a blast from my Bayard.” Lance baited, taking another bite of his green goo.

“We had a bonding moment! I cradled you in my arms!” Keith said, sounding a little more hurt than irritated. Lance’s ears caught it just barely, and Allura did too. She looked at her brother, than to Keith and a small smile settled on her lips.

“Noope. Don’t remember it. Didn’t happen.”

Keith seemed completely put out and sat in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest and a seeming pout on his face. Hunk told them all about the enslavement of the Balmera, of the people who lived there. “You’re really hung up on this Shay girl, aren’t you?” Lance asked genuinely, and Hunk blushed a little.

“Not just Shay. All of her people. They are sacrificing their lives, their planet. They deserve to be free. I mean… Isn’t that what Voltron is for? To protect the Universe?”

“Yes. And it’s our job to help them.” Allura said, her tone very Princess.

“Then I guess it’s time to ‘man-up’.” Shiro said and all of them nodded, “When can we get ready for launch?” he asked and Allura looked to Coran.

“With the new crystal connected, within the varga.” Coran said and Shiro told them all to get ready.

Lance was getting up with Pidge made a small coughing sound to gather all of their attention, “Hey guys, I need to get something off my chest. I can’t… really ‘man-up’, because… I’m a girl. I mean, the saying ‘man-up’ is just that. So even though I am a girl, I can ‘man-up’, it’s just… you know… kind of silly.” Lance stared as all the dots connected. That was the thing he couldn’t quite place with the little Green Paladin. Pidge was more like Hadrian than he originally thought. But as it hit him, he couldn’t help but sputter, “Wait, Pidge is a girl?”

“I have known for some time, but thank you for sharing with us, Pidge.” Allura said kindly.

“Yeah, I kind of figured.” Hunk and Keith said in unison.

“Were… were we supposed to think you were a boy?” Coran asked.

“Being comfortable with who you are, Pidge, it is very important. And I’m glad you have decided to stay with us.” Shiro said with an almost tender smile Lance hadn’t seen from him before.

“Wait, wait, wait. Pidge is a girl, and she was going to leave us? How long was I out?”

“Not long enough.” Keith mumbled.

“Let’s just get everything ready for launch.” Shiro said with a soft sigh. But it wasn’t irritated, it was almost… Lance couldn’t really define it. He picked up his bowl and returned it to the sinks in the kitchen and when he returned to the galley Allura was waiting for him.

“What is it?” Lance asked and she just shook her head.

“Nothing, I am just so relieved you are okay.” She said with her own sigh that Lance could define. True relief of an older sibling. “And you and the Red Paladin seem to be getting along better. Though I would lay off the…”

“Charm?”

“Sure, let us call it such.”

“Laying it on too thick?”

Allura smiled and hugged Lance tightly, “Just a little.”

“I’ll work on it.”

“You do that,” she grinned at him and let him go, “Because I cannot have that charm distracting anyone. We have a lot of work to do. And a Balmera to save.”

“No promises. On the charm part. Saving a Balmera, consider it done.”


	9. Taking Flight (to save Hunks giiirlfriend)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> System checks take time, and flying a 10,000 year old castle ship takes time too. Especially when there are fellow Galra resistance members in need of aid. The extra time gives Lance an opportunity to learn more about his new teammates. Which is a must if they are ever going to get Voltron down to a natural instinct. It all takes time. But they really don't have a whole lot of time on their side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took sooo much longer then usual for a chapter update! I made this one a little bit longer and full of space baby dialog and fun :) and just a dash of klance development. But before anything: Thank you for almost 4000 hits and to my new bookmarkers and kudos, I just, thank you!! I did do a bit of dialogue change for this chapter in order to make it fit my Altean based AU. I hope you like it!! Xoxoxoxo. 
> 
> As always, any questions, comments, suggestions, love, hate, corrections, all welcome!! Oh!! And thank you for being so patient!

Laying it on too thick.  Had he really been doing that?  With Keith?  Lance stuck his tongue out in disgust, at least he thought that was why he was doing it, maybe he should have stayed in the medical pod for a little while longer.  He was definitely not mentally sound.  

It was starting to get light out and Allura had dismissed the Paladin’s for a few hours rest while Coran continued setting up the ship for takeoff.  Lance hung out with Hunk for a while; the larger paladin was having a hard time settling down and waiting.  He and Hunk were playing a game of ‘checkers’ created on a drawn out piece of unused sheet metal and different colored rocks.  Lance was finally getting the hang of the game when Allura sent him a message through the intercom systems throughout the ship.

“Lance.  Report to the Hall of Lions.  Now.” 

Hunk looked up from his move, “Oooh Lance.  Sounds like you’re in trouble.”

Lance rolled his eyes, but deep down he was running everything he had done within the last two full cycles in his mind, just in case.  “Rematch later?” Lance asked, and Hunk nodded.  Lance headed down to the Hall and ran his actions through his mind one more time.  Nope.  He hadn’t done anything except enjoy a party, make a cheer, get a hug from Coran, get blown up, shoot a Galra officer in the arm, find out Pidge was a girl, make Keith almost blush – why that mattered to him he wasn’t sure – and spend a full 24 varga’s within a healing pod.  Maybe he had been muttering while he was healing.  Lance did talk in his sleep, it was feasible he did it while in a medically induced stasis.  When he walked through the giant archway, he knew exactly why he had been demanded to the Hall.  Keith was standing their next to Allura, and she was already talking to him.  When the Hall’s bay doors had been shut, it seemed that Blue and Red had taken it upon themselves to try and get out.  Though the damage was minimal by all accounts, there were deep claw marks in the bay door hinges, and above the arch Lance had just walked through.

“Azu!”  Lance fake scolded as Allura’s glare turned from Keith to him.  “Did you do that?  Bad kitty!”

"It was not just Azu." Allura said looking over her shoulder at the two giant robotic felines.  

"They were trying to help." Keith cut across, his arms crossed defiantly across his chest, "I don't see the problem, Princess."

Lance looked from the red Paladin to his sister and she was not a fan of Keith's nonchalant take on the situation.  "The 'problem', Keith, is that now there is damage to the Hall of Lions.  Until repairs can be done, each Lion will now need to be in their individual launch bays.  Which puts further strain on all of our castles systems.  That.  Is the problem."

"Allura..." Lance said softly, "I will help Coran with the repairs."

"Yes. You will."  She said promptly and entirely princess.  Which was just a little irritating to Lance but he tried to ignore the slight condescension in it.  

"'Llurie, 'Llurie I got it.  One fixed Hall of Lions in the foreseeable future coming up."

Allura rolled her eyes in a very unprincess like manner and pointed to Blue and Red "Towers.  Before we launch."  She added, looking between Keith and Lance before leaving the hall.

Keith glared at him, and then at Allura as she left but Lance noticed when the moody Paladin looked at his Lion, he smiled beneath that mop of hair.  It was a nice smile, a rusty one.  Lance must have been staring longer than was acceptable by Earth standards because Keith snapped something about a picture and lasting longer before he walked off to Red’s side.  Lance turned to Blue, and shook his head, "What am I going to do with you, Blue?  Just had to try and bust out..." he mock scolded, walking over to the blue lion who wasn't looking at him.  "Naughty kitty." He said with a smile as he reached out and patted Blue on her large claw.  "I'm kidding, beautiful.  Remember where your tower is? I know it's been awhile." Blue's square head nodded and her tail flicked, "Thanks gorgeous.  Straight there, and no more games of destroy the Hall with Red, okay?" He felt her purr, and then she flooded him with the concerned state she had been in, "I get it Blue.  But I'm okay now.  We all are.  I’ll come check on you in a while, alright?"  

"Lance, you coming?" Keith called, "Coran keeps buzzing some intercom thing for you."

"Yeah, yeah I’m coming."  Lance said with a final pat of Blue’s leg before he ran off after Keith.  He walked beside him, but not too closely due to the large corridors within the Castle of Lion’s.  Keith was looking at him, or more like glaring at him in side-glances, as if something was on his mind but he wasn’t sure how to ask it.

“You aren’t very articulate, are you?”  Lance blurted out, looking over at Keith with a mix of genuine question and just a dash of taunting.

“I am plenty articulate, thank you.  I just noticed something.”

“Noticed what?”

“You’re royalty, right?”

Lance nodded, but he wasn’t sure what Keith was getting at.  Maybe he was wondering why Allura was the Princess and he was the Paladin.  Different species had asked him that question on more than one occasion.  On many planets, a Male led, a Female did not.  To Altean’s, gender wasn’t exactly as important as age and family standing.  Allura was older, hence, she was the Princess, and Lance was the protector.  The Paladin.  Zarkon had even picked on him mercilessly for it, that ‘destiny’ had been cruel to him, that he should have been in Allura’s place.  Though at the time, Lance had thought them friends, thought it was just play, not what was most likely the attempt at putting a wedge between he and his twin. 

“Why don’t you wear a band thing?  Like Allura?”

“A band thing?  Well, my hair is not as long as ‘Llurie so… I don’t need to have my hair pulled back –“

“No.  The tiara thing.  Do you not have one?”

“Oh, that.  Yes, I have one.  Why, want to see it?”

Keith looked over at him as they stepped into one of the Castle’s lifts, “Why don’t you wear it?”

“So you do want to see it?  If you want me in something pretty, Keith.  All you have to do is ask.” Lance teased, and Keith glared.  The blue paladin laughed and reached out punching his comrade in the arm lightly, “I’m just messing with you Keith.  I don’t wear it because I don’t like it.”

“Oh.”  Keith grunted with an added shrug as the doors to the lift opened revealing the hall that led down to the control deck.  The other three Paladin’s, Allura and Coran were all waiting for them.  Hunk gave Lance a nervous smile as Coran rambled off different security checks to Shiro who was doing his best to check them off as Coran went.  

“Are we almost ready for lift off?”  Lance asked Allura.  She glanced over at him and nodded, “As soon as the Blue and Red lions are safely in their towers, we are ready to depart Arus.”  She said coolly.  Lance walked over to his assigned station as five lifted from the floor beneath them much to Pidge’s amazement and Shiro’s impressed nodding.  Hunk quickly sat down at the station Allura pointed out to him and let out a strained, ‘lets go!’ and Lance grinned.  Allura gave out orders to disembark and Coran echoed them as he completed the last bit of takeoff checklists.

Shiro leaned over Lance’s station and tapped him on the shoulder with his metal hand, “Hey… This… this can fly, right?  It has been 10,000 years.”

Lance grinned up at Shiro, “I guess we’ll find out.”

 

***

 

Taking off from Arus had been pretty shaky, but being under 10,000 years of dirt and vegetation could do that.  Once they were clear of the Arusian atmosphere and on a course for the Balmera Coran and Hunk had gotten the new crystal from, Shiro went to check on Sendak’s stasis pod.  Keith followed him, leaving Lance, Pidge and Hunk on the control bridge with Allura and Coran.  Lance was taking the opportunity to fill in his new friends about their stations much to Pidge’s excitement and Hunks groaning.  After about an hour, Lance gave into a groan as well.  He forgot how boring space travel could be and after asking Allura and Coran how much longer it was going to be about seven times he was booted off the deck until they called for him.  

“How long do you think it’ll take?” Hunk asked as they sat down in the mess hall.

“You heard, Allura.” Pidge said, pouring a glass of bubble milk, and one for Lance and Hunk too, “The Castle needs to be out of the Arusian solar system before we can wormhole.  We should be there soon, Hunk.  We’ll save your girlfriend.”

“Shay isn’t my girlfriend!”  Hunk sputtered into his milk, looking over at Lance for support.  Lance just smiled apologetically and looked over at Pidge.

“Hey, Pidge?”

“Mm?”  Pidge said, not looking up from the see through tablet on the table.

“What should I call you?”

“What?” Pidge asked, tearing amber eyes away from the script on the screen, “I mean, call me Pidge?”

“No, well.  Okay.  But I mean, when I’m referring to you… do you… do you want me to call you ‘he’, or ‘she’ or… or…”

“’It’?”  Hunk helped.

Lance instantly felt stupid for asking, but Pidge seemed deep in thought, “Never really thought about it.  I am a girl.  But I’ve been pretending to be a boy for amost a year now.  So… I guess it really doesn’t matter to me.  I thought Altean’s didn’t put much thought into gender?”  Pidge asked, pointing down to the tablet, “Been doing some reading on your society.”

“We don’t.  I just wasn’t sure if you had a preference.”

Pidge seemed to think on it a little harder, then shrugged, “Don’t care; it’s the same to me.  But thank you for asking.”

“Alright, just wanted to make sure and-”

“Paladins!  Please report to the Control Deck.”  Allura’s voice rang out from the Castle comms and all three of them stood up from the table simultaneously.

“Are we there already?” Hunk asked as he half jogged out of the mess hall.  Lance shook his head as Hunk bounced in place as they waited for the lift, “No?  Are you sure?  I mean, how long has it been?  Maybe we wormholed?  Oh gosh, is this happening?”

“Hunk, buddy, we aren’t at the Balmera yet.  I’m betting asteroid field.  Or a D.I.D. Call.”

“DID?” Pidge asked.

“Damsel in Distress.”  Lance replied, with an exaggerated grin and a wink.

“You’re joking, right?”  Hunk asked weakly, his thoughts obviously elsewhere.

“I never joke about Damsel’s, Hunk.”

The doors opened and Lance went right to his designated station on the deck, “What did we miss?” he asked, an eagerness in his voice he wasn’t sure he should have displayed.  He really needed to do something.  Being in the healing pod left him with nothing but his thoughts, and he needed a distraction.  Or honestly, he really should talk about the loss, of the mourning of his planet, of his friends, his father, of Keita, but who had time for that when you were a defender of the universe?  Action, unhealthy flirtation and sarcasm.  Coping mechanism of champions.

“We have picked up a distress call.”  Allura answered.

“Yes!”  Lance said with a forced grin that seemed so genuine he should have been ashamed.  Keith rolled his eyes at him and Shiro smiled.  At least Shiro seemed a little eager to have something to do as well.

“I’m afraid it isn’t one of your D.I.D Calls though, Lance.”  Coran piped in, “It seems to be a freighter that has had some engine trouble and landed on that upcoming moon.”

“Guys, we don’t have time for this.  We have to go save Shay!” Hunk said quickly, “I mean, if they’re okay for now, then we can come back for them right?  Shay and her people need us now.  Like right now.”

“It is a Paladin of Voltron’s duty to help all in need, Hunk.  We will get to the Balmera.  We will save your friend.  But we need to see if we can help these people too.” Allura said softly, with an understanding that Lance wasn’t sure she was capable of using in her Princess voice.  She smiled over at her brother, and Lance nodded.

“Alright.  Your right.  That’s right.” Hunk said looking down at his boots.  Lance stood up from his station and went over to Hunk, patting him on his broad shoulders.  Hunk seemed a little less blahed and looked up with a new determination in his eyes.  “So what are we waiting for?  Paladin armor I’m guessing?  Hurry it up, guys.  Sooner we help these freighters the sooner we can get to Shay and her people.”  

As the ship began its landing process, the five of them changed into their armor.  The process was getting easier, Pidge no longer needed any help getting into the layers and Hunk only needed a bit of help fastening himself into the places he couldn’t reach.  Shiro left before the rest of them to head back to the deck with Allura and Keith was reaching at an awkward angle to flip the last clasp of his armor into place.  Lance crossed the three steps between them, reached out and pushed the clasp into place with a click, “There you go.”

“I had it.”

“You looked like a Kritonian Dancer about to start a routine.”

“Kritonian Dancer.  That more Ballet or Exotic?”  Pidge asked.

“What is that?” Lance questioned as he grabbed his helmet.  Hunk started laughing.

“You know, like…”  Pidge thought for a moment, then lifted her arms up into the air to make a giant ‘O’ and lifted up one leg to spin in a fluid movement then stop with a bend of knees and an gentle wave of arms.  “Ballet.  Or like… on a pole, with glittery exposing clothes and loud obnoxious music.”

“Not going to re-enact that one for me?” Lance teased.

“Maybe Hunk will.” Pidge said with a baiting smirk at the larger paladin.  Hunk went red in the face and started to shake his head, “But I’m leaning toward exotic stripper.  Seems your scene, Lance.”

“Not sure if it is, but I might need to find out.  You know.  Just to be sure.  New experiences and all.”

“Guys.” Keith butted in, putting his helmet on his head, “We’ve got things to do.  In case you forgot.”

“You seem more like the Ballet lover, Keith.” Lance added as they walked.

Keith looked over his shoulder at him and thought for a minute as they walked.  They got into the lift back to the control deck and everyone was silent.  Lance was a bit bummed that Keith didn’t make any remark back.  Nothing snide, not even a ‘shut up Lance’, which was what he was expecting.  The whooshing should of the lift taking them to their chosen destination filled the silence between the four of them when Keith cleared his throat, “Ballet is a strenuous sport that takes years of training and more endurance that I think I could manage.  I’m more of a core fan, than leg.”

“So…” Lance prompted.

“Keith.  Are you saying you’re a fan of exotic dancing?”  Pidge asked, a bit of shock in her voice, “I mean, it shows you’re human.  And they are pretty.  Strippers, I mean.  With all the glitter and sequence.”

“I’m thinking you’re talking more of a Burlesque kind of vibe.” Hunk said, with a little elbow nudge to Keith’s ribs.  Keith pushed him away, but he was nodding.

“Burlesque?  Strippers?  Oh this I have to know.” Lance questioned, his interest piqued.

“I don’t think I want to know what you all are talking about.” Shiro said, and Lance looked up, none of them seeming to notice that the doors had opened to the lift and Allura, Coran and Shiro were all looking at them.

Lance grinned and Hunk looked away, but followed Keith and Pidge out of the lift.  The Castle’s landing was turbulent but Allura’s voice rang out steady and clear as day to the stranded freighter crew as they touched down.  Lance followed his team and his twin to the Castle’s formal entrance.  Having landed it opened a smaller door within itself and lowered a metallic white ramp.  They were greeted by a crew of three.  Allura introduced them all, and the leader introduced his group in return.

“I’m Rolo.  This is Nyma and our cyber-unit, Beezer.”  Rolo greeted, raising a hand to wave at them.  Pidge disappeared to check out their cyber-unit that looked a lot like a Tibrarcam Cat and Lance caught Allura’s stare.  Not exactly wanting to play dignitary of the Altean Race, Lance shot a flashy smile to Nyma and slid himself over to the boulder she was sitting pretty on.  Lance couldn’t place her species but he smiled all the same, “Hello there, names Lance, at your service.” He faked with a wink and grin.  He felt beyond guilty as she giggled back and gave him a smile that was genuinely beautiful.  Lance heard Rolo talk to Shiro, Hunk and Allura about the repairs they needed, how they had been stuck on the moon for almost a week, and fighting the Galra.  The last bit peaked his interest and he looked over at Nyma, letting Hunk and the others figure out what the freighter needed.  

“How long have you been fighting against the Galra?”  Lance asked, forcing himself to focus completely on Nyma.

“Almost all of my life.  Rolo and I do what we can, but it seems like nothing compared to you.  Your space ship, being Paladin’s of Voltron.  My grandmother told me stories.  Ancient tales.  I almost cannot believe you are real.” Nyma replied, adding in a soft sigh as she pushed herself off the boulder she was perched on, “How long have you battled against the Galra, Lance?”

Lance’s grin faltered only for a second, but Nyma seemed to have noticed.  He answered her regardless, “Same as you.” he said, not wanting to really go into the fact that the current predicament of Zarkon being evil dictator over the galaxy was his fault.  

“Have you lost someone?” Nyma asked.

“Huh?”  Lance questioned as he leaned as nonchalantly as possible against the very boulder Nyma had been up on.

“It is just… many have.  And for a moment,” she paused and looked over too Rolo and Beezer who was printing off a list of what they needed, which Rolo handed to Hunk.  “I just thought I saw in your eyes… I am sorry, never mind.” She said with a soft smile that made Lance’s chest hurt.  He found himself nodding before he could stop himself.  She looked over at him, her large pupil-less purple eyes just as soft as her smile when she leaned over and nudged her shoulder against his arm, “I have too.  Do you need someone to talk too about it?”

“It was a long time ago.  Well, by your standards.”

Nyma blinked, but didn’t push the strange to her statement, “Well, I know it does not go away.  That pain.”

“So what do you do for fun?”  Lance asked, reverting to his go-to defense of lets-talk-about-anything-else-but-my-dying-heart.

Nyma took the not too subtle hint, but she seemed a bit put off that he didn’t open up to her more, glancing over at her crewmate for a moment.  She was smiling again however within a moment, “Well, when I am not stranded on outer planet moons, I do a lot of things for fun.”

“What’s your favourite?”

“I love the clubs on Lavaxiru.  Have you ever been?”

“They still have those?”  Lance asked, amusement in his tone, which caused a bit of confusion to spread across Nyma’s face.

“Yes.  I have not gotten to go in some time.  But I love them.  The energy, the music.”

“That does sound fun.”

“You have an appreciation for music, Lance?”

“As a matter of fact I do.”

“Oh we should go together!  After you and Voltron defeat the Zarkon and his evil Galra!” 

Lance was nodding, his attention drawn away for a moment as Hunk and Shiro discussed not letting anyone ‘unauthorized’ into the Castle.  Allura was agreeing and Lance heard Nyma give a pouted sigh.

“What is it?” Lance asked, 

“I was hoping I could see your lion.  But I guess we have to obey the Princesses commands.”

A small irritation started to peck away within Lance’s mind.  Allura’s ‘commands’?  Well, yes.  She was the Princess of his people.  All three of them.  She was older than him.  But ‘obey’ her?  Lance’s lips twisted into a devious grin, “Well, not all of her ‘commands’.  I am a Prince after all.  If you are escorted, then I don’t see the problem.  Let’s go.”

Nyma followed behind Lance as they snuck past Shiro and Allura.  Past Hunk who was doubled over with Rolo fixing some conduit and luckily, Keith was nowhere to be seen.  They didn’t really need to sneak past Pidge, she was so enthralled with Beezer that an earthquake wouldn’t have pulled her away from the little cyber-unit.  With the Lion’s no longer in the Hall, Lance took Nyma to the traditional Paladin launch shoots.  They took a zipline down to speeders that would take them to Blue.  Nyma’s arms were around his shoulders as they rushed down the zipline causing an embarrassed rush to fill Lance’s face.  His pointed ears were red beneath his helmet as they landed on the speeder, and those same arms went around his chest to hold on as they sped down to Blue.  The guilt was back again when he heard Nyma whoop and giggle with exhilaration from the experience.  He tried so hard not to think of the first time he had shown Keita this exact sequence of events.  Before she was the Red Paladin.  He had snuck her into the Castle when he had been landed on Altea.  Coran’s family was still working on parts of it’s construction but the Lion bays had been finished as a priority from King Alfor.  Keita had dared him to take her, having thought that Lance didn’t have the backbone to go behind his father’s back and show her what no ‘civilian’ was supposed to see.  Lance had taken that challenge and ran with it.  She had held on to him the same way, even laughed from the sheer ridiculousness of a zipline within a flying castle.  Keita’s had been more full belly joyous laugh, than Nyma’s soft chiming giggle, but similarity was causing Lance’s stomach to do somersaults, and not in a nice way.  When the speeder slid to a stop next to Blue, Nyma even gaped as Keita had.  Though Keita had almost pushed Lance out of her way to get closer to Blue all those centuries ago, where as Nyma stayed almost timidly on the speeder at first.  Lance could feel Blue’s low growl, and he was sure Nyma could hear it as Blue’s eyes lit up and she moved her large head to look down at them.

“Be nice, Blue.  This is Nyma, she’s a friend.”

“Why are you talking to it?”  Nyma barley managed above a whisper.

“You didn’t just think the mythical Lion’s of Voltron were just machines did you?”

“Yes.  Yes I did.”

Lance grinned, “Well, here’s something to tell your friends at the Lavaxiru clubs.  Each Lion has a different personality; they’re alive in their own right.”

“Why is it growling at me?”

“’She’,” Lance corrected with a gentle smile, “Is just protective.  It’s okay, mama.”  Lance said sweetly, his smile turned into a playful grin as he looked over at Nyma, “Don’t be scared, Nyma.”

“I am not.” She said quickly, but Lance felt her reach out and grab onto his armored arm, pulling it back against her chest.

“It’s okay, you wanted to see a Lion of Voltron didn’t you?  Blue is the best there is!” Lance said with a proud tone and Blue nodded, lowering her head with open jaws.  Nyma gasped, but she didn’t back up.  Lance pulled her a little closer and took her up into Blue’s cockpit.  Lance sat in his chair and Nyma casually sat herself in his lap as Blue pulled the control chair into position.  Nyma reached out her yellow fingers and stroked the controls, switches and buttons on Blue dash.  She gaped as off blue screens popped up around them showing them different statuses of the surrounding airspace.  Blue really was impressive, and it wasn’t a surprise as Nyma started to quickly rattle off the sophistication of the technology within the lion.  She touched everything, and Lance could hear Blue grumbling in his mind but he hushed her.  Nyma stopped her stroking of shining metal buttons when she came to the Balmerian stone.  She leaned over in Lance’s lap and inspected it, her bunched blonde ‘hair’ slipping forward around her pointed yellow ears.  After a moment she sat herself back and twisted so she was facing him, “It was your fiancé.” She said instead of asked.

“Huh?” Lance asked, the second grunting out of the sound he had made in the last half hour.

“Who you lost.  To the Galra?” She pressed gently.  Lance didn’t say anything but Nyma continued, “You do not have to tell me, Lance.  But I can tell that you loved her.  Most male’s jump all over me when they meet me.  It is the allure of my species.  And though you faked it in front of your friends, you are not in the slightest bit interested in me.  Well, perhaps that is not the correct word.  But because of this,” She pointed to the red and blue stone, “you are stuck.”

“I wouldn’t say ‘stuck’, Nyma.  She died thousands of years ago.” Nyma looked confused, but Lance kept going, “But it hasn’t been that long for me.”

“You loved her, I am not saying that being stuck is a bad thing.  Though it will prolong your sadness and suffering.  Do you know who killed her?” Nyma asked.

Lance tried not to spit out the name as he said it, “Zarkon.”

Nyma stiffened in Lance’s lap and quickly changed the subject.  “So, do you think you can take me on ride?”

Lance was pulled from the sudden onslaught of hatred that was filling him at the thought of his past friend and he blinked twice.  “Seeing a Lion is one thing.  But I really shouldn’t-”

Nyma shrugged and reached out and pressed a yellow finger to his lips, “It is not problem, Lance.  I understand.  Maybe Keith could take me in his lion.”

Lance could feel Blue get amped at the statement.  Though Red and Blue were friends, more than friends in Lance’s opinion, she never liked to let her scarlet counterpart one-up her in anything if she could help it.  

“No, I think we can help you out there, right Blue?” Lance asked the robotic lion, and Blue pushed herself up off her haunches and shook before she got ready to launch from her tower bay.  When she did, Nyma was screaming in delight and Lance felt himself grin even with the guilt inside him.  Blue took them past the downed freighter, and around the moon at an impressive speed for her size.  They landed at Nyma’s insistence in a small clearing that was surrounded by tall trees and a small shimmering pond.  Blue wanted to play in the water, but Lance asked her to hold off.  He was having fun with Nyma, opening up about Keita to someone else, telling her about how he felt like he had betrayed everyone.  How he had woken up and realized that everyone was gone except for Coran and Allura.  She had listened, chimed in when it was appropriate and added her own experiences here and there. The vibe changed between he and Nymaafter they had sat down under a tree and Lance wasn’t sure what Nyma was up too.

“I am sorry, Lance.” Nyma said after a moment of them sitting quietly watching the soft lapping of water up against the off purple grass edge.

“For what?”  Lance asked, moving his helmet from his lap to the grass next to him.

Nyma turned toward him and as she leaned forward Lance felt a heat rush up his neck to his cheeks.  She leaned in closer, and Lance felt her breath on the tip of his pointed ear, “For this.” She whispered, grabbing Lance by the wrists and clicking on a plasma chained set of cuffs.  Before Lance could react, she had him cuffed to the very tree they were under and in the partial struggle Lance’s helmet rolled away severing him from any link he had with his fellow paladins.  Lance heard the delayed sound of engines taking off and within moments, the freighter that Hunk and Rolo had been working on was hovering in place above them.

“Nyma, wait, what are you doing?”

“I meant what I said, Lance.  None of this, Zarkon, your Keita’s death, it is not your fault.  Being a good person.  It does not make you wrong.”

“Uh, I beg to differ.  Not exactly doing me any favors right now.  Hey!  What is your partner doing to Blue!”

“We have too, Lance.  Just, you would not understand.  I am sorry.” She said quickly, grabbing a lowered rope ladder from the freighter as Blue was pulled up into its cargo hold.  

“Nyma, don’t do this!”

“See you, Lance.”

“Hey!” he yelled as Nyma was lifted up and the cargo doors closed under Blue.  There was a massive gush of wind as the freighter rose in altitude and then blasted off towards the atmosphere and space.  Lance pulled desperately at his restraints, but with a plasma woven chain, he wasn’t going anywhere.  He had to call for Shiro and the others.  He reached out for his helmet with his foot, but it was just out of reach, so he strained.  The toe of his boot scraped against his helmet and if he could only move it an inch closer he could have kicked it up to his head.  Lance yelled again, this time in complete frustration at his stupidity.  He finally decides to open up to someone besides Hunk – and that had been minimal to say the least – and she rolled him and took Blue.  Lance kicked out at his helmet and managed to nudge it closer, which gave him just enough reach to move it up to his knee, and then to knee it up to his chest.

“Hello!  Hello guys!  A little help here!”

“Lance?”  Keith’s voice sounded, low but audible from within the helmet, “What happened?”

“Nyma and her friend Rolo just took Blue!”

“How did she manage to do that?” Keith asked, but Shiro butted in over him.

“Lance where are you?  How long ago did they take your lion?”

“Uh… not more than ten minutes?”

Lance heard the other three Paladin’s rattle off with Shiro and then Lance heard the click of the connection being dropped.  It was very quiet under the tree he was bound too.  With the exception of the water lapping up against the banks of the pond some thirty feet from him, which left Lance with nothing but his thoughts.  He listened intently for any communication from his team members and tried really hard not to think of what they thought of him.  Idiot.  Too busy wanting to flirt with the pretty alien to be aware of her intents.  Stupid, Lance.  Stupid, trusting, can’t tell good from bad when it’s staring him right in the face, idiot Altean.  There was a click within the helmet and Lance heard his twin’s voice call to him through the intercom.

“Lach-Lance, are you alright?  What happened?  Do not worry, the other Paladin’s are on the trail of the freighter, and Coran and I are preparing to join them.  Lance, are you alright?” she repeated and Lance started to nod, but felt stupid because she couldn’t see him.

“Yeah… yeah I’m alright.  How’s it going for you?”

“Oh, you know.  Just another day,” Allura said sweetly, “Trying to decide what to do for dinner.  Space goo, or space goo.”

“I vote space goo!” Coran’s voice rang out over Allura’s and Lance felt tears sting his eyes.  The saltiness building up because of how dumb he had been, how trusting, and how those very attributes lost him so much and he didn’t learn a damned thing.  He tried to bite them back, but he could hear it in his own voice as he forced out a choked, “I vote Makad Steak.”

“Lance.  She did not hurt you, did she?”  Allura asked, what little play she had had in her voice was swapped out with concern.

“No one hurt me, ‘Llurie.  Not physically anyway.  Have you heard anything from Shiro?  Have they caught up with them?”

“Not yet, they will tell us as soon as they have apprehended them.  Do you want me to come get you?”

Lance turned his face into his arm, wiping away the wetness from his face and he cleared his throat a few times before he spoke again, “I’m kind off chained up, ‘Llurie.  Remember the last time you found me cuffed?”

There was silence on the other end of the comm, and then Allura coughed, “Why do you have to remind me of that?”

“Just trying to save you from another embarrassing memory of your beloved twin.”

“Fine.  I will just ask Keith to come get you once he has returned with your Lion.  He can save Blue, and then come save you.”

“Allura!”  Lance whined, “Don’t be like that.  I was just joking!  Come get me!”

“Hey, Lance.”  Keith’s voice clicked over the intercom, overlapping Allura’s amused giggle, “I got you your Lion back.”

“You did?  Ah, thank you Keith!  Now one of you is going to come get me, right?” Lance asked and he swore he heard a cracked laugh in Keith’s voice as he started to talk again.

“What’s that?  I, uh… You’re cutting out.  I can’t… I can’t hear you.”

“Keith!  Come on!  Keith!  I thought we bonded!  Keith!”

 

***

 

“We will be there soon, right?”  Hunk asked for the sixth time as he paced the control deck.

“Hunk, we’ll get there exactly when we’re supposed to get there.” Coran said cheerfully.

“You sound like the White Rabbit.” Hunk groaned.

“White, rabbit?”  Coran repeated.

“Yes.  A story from Earth.  Alice in Wonderland – never mind.  How much longer?”  Hunk asked again.

“Hunk, how do you want to go about this rescue?” Shiro asked from the console dash he was leaning against.

Hunk paused in his pacing as he thought, “Well… being that this is my first rescue attempt… what do you guys think?  Go in guns blazing?  Covert?  Guns blazing?”

“What, like pow, pow, pow, free the prisoners?” Lance inquired.

“What was that noise?” Keith asked, side glancing at Lance in a very unimpressed way.

“Laser guns.” Lance said with a smirk and an added wink.

“Uh, I don’t think so Lance, it’s more like-” Hunk proceeded to lift his arms and make exploding sounds as he mock fired his arms like canons.

“That sounds like fireworks,” Pidge said next to Allura, “And anyway, it’s more like,” she poised her hands into finger guns and took a stance, “Pchew, pchew, pchew!”

“Guys, enough with the bad sound effects.” Shiro said, a little annoyance in his voice as he looked over all of them.  He grayish eyes stared them all down in a seriousness Lance hadn’t seen from him.  But then he suddenly fell down to one knee and held out his hands in similar style Pidge had done, “Besides.  It’s more like blam blam blam!”

“What?”

“No way.”

“You’re crazy.”

Allura looked between them with a unsure smile and Lance laughed as Coran gave a curt cough.

“Just remember, the Balmera is a living creature.  You cannot hit the surface.  Oh and I have a lay out of the Galra positioning if you’d like it.”

“That… would be great, Coran.” Allura said, as Coran pulled the stat’s up above them.  Lance looked up at the layout of the Galra mining setup.  The Galra mining equipiment was borrowed into the surface of the Balmera without any regard to the creature’s wellbeing.  Lance clenched his fists in time with Allura at the travesty they were looking at.  Coran was talking, but Lance wasn’t really listening.

“We’ll have to draw them out.”  Keith said from his left.

“Well, what if we attack those collection buildings?  That should draw them out.”  

“Great plan.  We’ll have to find a way to monitor all movement from the Balmeran’s and the Galra.”

“’Rald is equipped with that stealth technology.  Could I drop sensors into those opening’s there?” Pidge asked, pointing to the openings within the Balmera.

Shiro was nodding and Lance felt his metal hand pat him on the shoulder to bring back his attention, “Alright.  Pidge, you drop the sensors, and Hunk, Keith, Lance and I will draw the Galra out.  Once we get them out, Hunk and Lance go down and free Shay.  Any questions?”

“Not from me.” Lance said softly as the screen minimized, “When do we get there?”

“Now.”  Coran announced, and Allura turned to look at all of them.

“Paladin’s, get ready.”

Each of them nodded in unison and turned to head for their lion bays.  As they headed down the corridor, Hunk and Pidge turned off at their designated tower entrances, Shiro continued down the corridor to the Black Lion’s launch bay and Keith and Lance went to the right.

“Hey, Lance.” Keith called suddenly as Lance was about to grip the bars of his zipline.  

He paused, looking over at the red paladin, “Yeah?”

“Why did you go off with her?”

“With who?”

“Nimo.”

“Nyma?” Lance confirmed and Keith nodded.  Lance shrugged not exactly wanting to delve into his stupid trust issues.  Or the fact that he had felt guilty when they had left the freighter and its crew stranded on the moon, for real this time.  He tried to think of why he had trusted Nyma.  And honestly it came down to two attributes, “She was kind and listened.”

“You let her get into your Lion, let her steal a part of Voltron from you, because she was nice and listened to you?”

“I guess so.”

“Man.  If you need someone to listen to you, I can do that.”

Lance arched a brow and turned to look at Keith, “You better watch it, Keith.  Keep making offer’s like that I may take you up on them.”

Keith frowned, “I’m trying to be serious but fine, be a dick about it.  Whatever.”

Lance grabbed Keith by the wrist and the glare he received was just on the edge of murderous, “I appreciate it, Keith.  Really.  I’ll remember that next time.”

“Do.  Don’t.  I don’t care.  Let’s go save Hunk’s girlfriend.”

“One hundred Alean Credit’s say’s I take down more Galra mining post’s then you.” Lance said, letting go of Keith’s wist.  The dark haired paladin looked over to where Lance had grabbed him, but his eyes caught Lance’s from beneath thick bangs.

“Not likely, I’m going to kick your antrk.” Keith said with a grin Lance couldn’t help but reciprocate.

“Look at you learning Altean.  You’re on.”

“And the stakes?”

Lance’s grin turned into a flirtatious smirk, “If you win, I’ll make it worth it.  I win, you smile more.”

“Smile more? What the hell does that even mean?  Lance?  Lance answer me, what the hell?”  Keith repeated, but Lance had already started down his zipline.  He could feel Blue’s excitement as soon as he landed on the speeder.  She was ready to protect the universe, and so was Lance.

 


	10. Tears of the Balmera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shaking first mission jitter's can be rough. Especially when your first mission after 10,000 years is to save a planet that is not only alive itself, but has thousands of inhabitants that rely on it's survival. Oh, and tack on the fact that Lance's new friend Hunk seems to be sweet on one said inhabitants. But what are Paladin's of Voltron for? They got working as a team. They have a plan. Now they just have to follow it through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright all, here is my newest chapter! I am so sorry that I have fallen off of my schedule of every other week, but I should be getting back into that update schedule soon! (I have a foster puppy. He goes to his forever home soon, but currently he is taking up a lot of my attention). Also, are there any takers for possible Beta readers? (If you are please feel free to message me on my tumblr: elizabesutonic :)) Just throwing it out there, seeing where it lands. Anyway! I hope you like this update with more Klance development! And I am so looking forward to my next few because we're coming up on the Poison episode, and... well... I hope you all like it!
> 
> As usual. Comments, questions, likes, dislikes and any corrections I would appreciate! I adore you! THANK YOU FOR READING MY ALTEAN LANCE REWRITE!!!

“This isn’t working!”

Lance wasn’t sure whose voice rang out to his left. A screen popped up in his peripheral but he didn’t bother to look who it was as he and Blue spiraled to the side out of Red’s lava like blast.

“Keith! Watch what you’re doing! You almost hit us!”

“Did you see that?” Keith asked quickly, a quip of excitement in his tone, “Sorry, Lance. But what does that make… I have three, how many do you have?”

“What are you two talking about?” Shiro said, his voice curt and to the point, “I need you to focus. Coran! Can you see where they are?”

“Just a tick.” Coran’s voice rang out. A screen split open and Lance saw the layout of the caverns below. Lance scanned the map, and noted that many of the Balmeran’s were deep within the caverns, and many Galra, Sentry of actual soldier’s Lance wasn’t sure, were in the hanger bay, or guarding the central most cavern.

“Shiro, they aren’t coming out.”

“I’ve noticed. Okay, new plan.”

“We have to save Shay!” Hunk interrupted, and Pidge agreed.

“I hear you, Hunk. Lance. Keith. You two go to the hanger and close it. Make sure we don’t get any extra company. If we’re going down there I don’t want us getting flanked. Hunk, Pidge, we’re going to find Shay. Meet in the central chamber. Understood?”

“Got it.” Lance said, “Keith, follow me.”

“Follow you? Not a chance.”

Lance watched through Blue’s eyes as Red turned to look at him, and Lance swore the red metal cat grinned as she flipped backward and shot down to the caverns below. Blue growled in a competitive manner and Lance pulled back on the controls and Blue spiraled down after them.

“Stay in contact you two!” Allura said alongside Shiro and Lance started to laugh.

“Sure thing ‘Mom and Dad’, we’ll be back before dinner.”

“Be serious, Lachlan!” Allura said quickly, her voice a little hitched with embarrassment, and Shiro coughed. Lance heard Blue chuckle in his mind and he copied her as they plummeted down into the center of the Balmera. Keith beat him down by a tick, possibly a dobash and when he stepped from Blue he gave her a gentle pat, “Don’t let anyone get to you. Particle barrier, okay?” She nodded and sat back on her metallic haunches and Lance watched as Red and Blue’s barriers encircled them at the same time. Lance had his Bayard in his hand but he hadn’t activated it. Keith looked over at him with the sword already materialized. His dark eyes scanned him in question and Lance shrugged, “’pose to be covert.”

Keith mimicked the action down to the shrug as he deactivated his Bayard and they moved down the closest corridor. It was relatively quiet, which was unnerving but Lance didn’t question it.

“Alright boys. Seems to be some Galra coming up in about fifty pauce’s.”

“Pauces? You mean paces?” Keith asked quickly, slowing his steps as he moved closer to the walls of the corridor. Lance nodded at him and pressed himself up against the opposite wall. They heard footsteps. Metallic. Sentry. Deciperhing exactly how many with the echoing footfalls was difficult but Lance estimated there were five of them. Keith had stopped moving as they turned a corner. There was a dim but defining light up ahead and they would lose their cover in the darkness if they kept going. Lance had been off, there was six of them and each armed. Keith grumbled something at him about getting past them and Lance nodded at him, noticing a old wooden ladder behind him. He waved his hand to get Keith’s attention and then he proceeded to make a series of hand signals that obviously meant that Keith should take the ladder up, crawl along the overhang and jump down behind the Sentry soldiers while Lance distracted him. But mullet just stared at him with a confused and annoyed look on his face then looked back down the corridor assessing the situation himself. Lance rolled his eyes, picked up a small rock and threw it at him. It hit it’s mark just above Keith’s sternum. That murderous glare was back and Lance pointed behind him causing Keith to turn around and see the ladder. Glare turned to a quick grin as he started to climb. Lance took a deep breath before he jumped out into the view of the Sentry patrol.

“Hello! Yes, you! Over here!” Lance called out, getting the attention of the Sentries and gaining an onslaught of plasma fire. He brought up his barrier shield blocking the fire as Keith crept along the outcropping of rock above them. The panging of plasma fire against his shield was deafening and he didn’t hear Keith jump down, or the slicing of metal Bayard through robotic soldiers.

“You can stand up now.” Keith said, flicking the shield with his finger. “Nice distraction.”

“Was that a complement?”

“No, it was a statement.”

Lance stood to his full height and grinned, “I’ll take it as a complement,” Lance tapped his helmet and the map Coran had shown them popped up over his right eye for him to see, “We’re almost there. Follow me.”

Keith didn’t argue, which was a surprise, and lowered his Bayard as they moved along the cavern walls. They came to an overhang and below them was at least one hundred Galra fighters. Most likely more. Maths wasn’t always Lance’s favourite. He glanced around the hangar, blue eyes absorbing every piece of information he could to formulate a plan, when Keith raised his sword and grunted out a “Let’s go!”

Lance snatched him by the collar just in time to stop him from dropping down and causing a complete cluster fuck. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Cool your jet’s Keith! Weren’t you listening to Coran?”

“About what?”

“Don’t you remember? It was like… maybe twenty minutes ago. The Balmera is a sensitive animal! Its already been through so much without you causing a chain reactions of explosions within it!?”

“And?”

“It means you can’t just go blow things up like a psycho!”

“Right,” Keith grunted, settling himself back down to a low crouch right next to Lance. “You have a better plan?”

Lance leaned forward, closing the space between them as he pointed up, “I’m thinking we close that and destroy the controls that work it. Then they can’t get out.”

“That…” Keith said as he turned to look at Lance. Their helmets were almost touching and Lance watched as Keith’s eyes narrowed and he looked away in what he could only describe as embarrassment, “Is actually a good idea. How do we get in?” he asked with a huff.

Lance straightened up a bit and he directed Keith’s gaze to the far left of the control room, “Considering Galra tech has obviously advanced, I’ll bet you that they still have a failsafe latch incase doors get jammed. It’s easy to open. We should be able to get in through there.”

“You’ve already lost one bet, Lance. Sure you want to make another one?”

“Mission’s not over yet, bangs.” Lance grinned and tapped his helmet causing the visor to rise up partially since they did not need breathing assistance presently, “But one hundred Altean credit’s is a big deal.”

“Not interested in money.”

“Yeah? Curiosity on my second half of the winnings got ya competitive, huh?” Lance teased. He stood and started his slow jet pack aided decent down the rock face. He almost lost his concentration and cut the jets short when he heard Keith answer him.

“I don’t like to lose. And anything set at ‘will make it worth your while’ always grabs my attention. Could be anything. Though from you… I can only think of one thing.”

Lance landed at the base of the rock face and stumbled into a dodge roll to the conduit he had pointed out. He suddenly felt self-aware and a little warm when Keith was again crouched down in a defensive position as Lance manipulated the door controls, “Yeah? And what do you think it’s going to be?” Lance said after a few attempts to lick away the dryness of his lips as he worked. He shouldn’t have been so flustered. It was honestly stupid, and yet he couldn’t shake the trailing heat from rising up his neck.

“Slave for a week.”

Lance almost lost it as he felt a laugh rip up his throat, he coughed it out and then looked at Keith, “You’re joking. That was a joke, right?”

“Was it?” Keith asked, genuine question in his tone this time, “It is a common bet on Earth.”

“Earth must be a strange place.”

“Well then what was your plan? For when I win?”

“You haven’t won yet, Keith.” Lance said with another cough. He dropped the cover over the conduit, giving the door a nudge causing it to slide open, “Come on.” Keith followed Lance through the doors into the control room. There were two Sentry’s facing away from them and before they could turn, Keith had sliced through them. Lance shut the door and frowned. Maybe he was going to lose.

“Want to help me over here, or just keep staring?”

Lance was before the a pink glowing screen and squinted, “Hold on, my Galra’s a little rusty.” He poked at a few buttons and frowned, “Okay. Really rusty.” Keith reached over Lance’s head and placed his palm on a large circle in the center of the screen. The pink flashed and there was a loud metallic scraping as the massive doors to the hangar closed. Lance looked over at Keith, “How did you do that?”

“I don’t know. Just seemed like a place to put a hand.”

Lance had nothing to say to that, but a suspicion started to fill his gut. It had been a biometric pad in the center of the screen. Reading the genetic material of Galra. Must have been some residue on Keith’s gloves from the Sentry. Though that really wouldn’t have given him any… Lance really couldn’t think about that. They had sealed the doors. He materialized his Bayard, shot two plasma blasts at the screen, then another at a central hub of terminals for good measure and grinned. “I think that is… four Galra posts for me, Keith. Keep up.”

***

They were followed instructions that were being fed to their helmets from Allura on where the rest of the Paladin’s had ended up. Keith and Lance followed the corridor with limited interaction from the resistance they were expecting. They ended up in a central cavern with a battle ship class crystal at the same time as the others. Lance saw Hunk run toward the crystal and he caught sight of a Balmeran, chained and on display with a muzzle clamped over her mouth. She struggled, like she was trying to warn them of something, and then all the door corridors they had entered through closed behind them. Shay fell from the chains that released her on some kind of timer. Hunk caught her with surprising ease considering how dense Balmeran’s were. The Yellow Paladin was strong there was no doubt about that. Lance was beside him with the help of his long strides, he helped him remove the muzzle from Shay’s mouth, and Keith took it from his hands. Shiro was next to them, and Pidge was too within a second as they regrouped.

“We are blocked in here. Coran! We could use some help down here!” Hunk said into the comm link they had with the Castle.

“I would love to be of help, Paladin’s. But we are in a tight spot ourselves! A Galra war ship has appeared, and we are under fire. You must get out of their quickly! They are trying to take your Lion’s! Paladin’s!”

“We’re trying Allura, but we are literally trapped in here!” Lance called.

“Shay? Shay what are you doing?” Hunk asked and Lance turned around to witness Shay place her hand against the massive crystal like heart of the Balmera. The area around it glowed a soft blue and the very cavern around them groaned out in pain. Lance’s heart felt like it was being ripped out and he moved beside her a placed his hand inches from hers. Hunk looked at him and Lance knew he was looking for an explanation. He felt the other Paladin’s move around them and they were all looking too. Keith was the last the move into the huddle around he and Shay.

“I get the doors open. Anyone have any ideas?”

“Keith, shush. Lance and Shay are trying something… I think.” Hunk said quickly with a quieting hand gesture. Lance picked up on Keith’s grunt, and of Pidges shuffling feet as she tried to see over her taller Paladin’s shoulders.

It was Shiro who finally broke the ‘silence’, “Lance… is this going to help us get back into the fight to protect the Balmera.”

“I am talking to those like me…” Shay said softly.

“You’re talking to them?” Keith asked. But Hunk shushed him again.

“They are trying to get to us. To free us."

Pidge pushed her way next to Lance, she peaked up through her visor, “Lance are you talking to them too?"

“I can’t connect to Shay’s people like she can. I’m trying to soothe the Balmera. Though I am not where near as good at it as Coran and Allura…” he answered softly, and Hunk made a sound of realization as he bend over a little to join in the triad’s mini powwow, “I saw Coran do this when we got that crystal! He said he was giving back or something.”

“You’re giving the planet your energy?” Pidge asked.

“I’m trying.”

The Balmera gave another ringing moan in pain, the earth beneath them began to shake, and Lance felt Shiro rip him and Shay from the heart and push them behind him in a protective manner that Keith and Hunk jumped in on. The door Lance and Keith had come through collapsed and behind it was another group of Balmeran’s. Shay grabbed onto Hunk and a smile spread over her face as she waved to her people.

“Lance,” Shiro said from beside him, “Are you still with us? You look a little…”

“Drained? Yeah, I’m fine. We have to –“

“You need to get to your Lion, Paladin’s. Now!” Allura’s voice rang out in their helmets, cutting Lance off just as if she was right there with them. He smiled a little at the almost predictability of her ability to somewhat finish his sentences, even when she was orbiting a planet above him.

“You heard the Princess,” Shiro said curtly, “We have to get to our Lion’s. We aren’t letting the Galra get their claws on them, move out!”

***

They had split up and Lance ran beside Keith as they headed back to their Lion’s. As the cavern they had left the girls in came closer, there was a brilliant off pink light dragging along the cavern floor. Keith sped up and Lance materialized his Bayard on instinct. Blue’s eyes lit up when he came into view, but she did not let down her particle barrier until he was sliding through it. She brought down her shield and scooped him up in her jaws in one smooth movement and as Lance’s control chair was pulled into position and Blue’s dash came online he heard Red roar.

“I told you before. You are not getting this Lion!” Keith yelled, as Red’s jaw blades materialized and he sliced through two of the fighters that were attempting to apprehend Red and Blue. “Lance, that’s five for me. Topside. Hurry up!”

“Those were fighters, not mining posts or control rooms! You’re just counting anything Galra!” Lance retorted, launching Blue up in the air around them and firing her thrusters as they sped to the surface.

“Fighter’s. Control rooms. I still have more.”

They breeched the entrance to the cavern at the same time, Black, ‘Rald and ‘Low were already defending the Castle from Galra fighters that had slipped through and Lance and Keith joined them. Allura’s face popped up to Lance’s right, “It is about time, brother! What on Altea where you doing down their? Taking in the sights?”

“You didn’t know Keith and I were on our first date?”

“That isn’t funny, Lance!” Keith shouted over the comms. Lance grinned as Allura mirrored the action.

“You will have to save the flirting and lipsraking for later. We are in a bit of a spot right now.” Coran chimed in.

“We need Voltron,” Shiro said and Lance nodded.

Lance prepared himself for the connection and Blue did too. He heard Shiro take a breath over the comms, when Blue’s alarms started to blare out. Lance was snapped from his mental cool as he reached out and tapped on a screen Blue had shoved in his face.

“Something’s coming in hot. Right for the surface of the Balmera! Is it a meteor?” Hunk shouted, his panic resonating with ‘Low as the Yellow Lion began to look between the five of them.

“No, we’ve seen something like this before. On Arus,” Pidge said with calculating accuracy, “It’s another Robot beast thing!”

“Another Ro-Beast? Here? Can the Balmera take another hit from something like that?”

“Hunk,” Allura said, princess seriousness in her voice, “A strike at that velocity will crack the Balmera in half. We need to evacuate as many of the Balmeran’s as we can into the Castle. Now.”

They put the plan into action without even needing to speak about it. Lance, Keith and Shiro went to take down the Galra war ship that had been attacking the Castle to give Allura and Coran cover as they landed. Pidge and Hunk were helping them. Collaborated efforts between Blue, Red and Black took down the War ship. Granted it had already sustained heavy damage from the Castle’s artillery but Lance was amazed at how efficiently Keith and Shiro worked together. And he found something else start to mix with his admiration. It wasn’t quite jealousy, as a warning. That these Paladin’s were not ‘his’ Paladin’s. That they would leave when… or dare he say ‘if’ they defeated Zarkon. Shiro was not Zarkon. Shiro was kind, was a good leader, and was worthy of Lance’s trust. Keith was NOT Keita. Keith would never replace Keita, though Red seemed to have a deeper affinity for him than she ever had for Keita, even though Keith was hard headed, impulsive, completely reactionary… just like her.

“Lance watch out!” Keith said as he shoved Red into Blue’s side pushing them both out of the way of a rogue piece of debris falling from the exploding War ship, “Get your head out of your ass, man! We’re kind of doing something here.”

“Shut up, ba-” Lance started, then he corrected himself, “Shut up, Keith.”

“What?”

“I said shut your quiznak, Keith.” Lance said sharply, but he didn’t hear Keith’s retaliated remark as the Ro-Beast crashed into the Balmera and a sound close to a scream erupted from the creature.

“Hunk! How many Balmeran’s have you gotten out?” Lance asked, tapping his helmet to make sure the connection was up, “Hunk? Pidge? Come in. Allura?”

“I can’t get to them. The caverns are collapsing, I don’t know what to do.” Allura said softly, her face opening up on a screen again. She had connected only to Blue. The rest were talking over the comms to each other and Lance took off his helmet to better look at her. She continued, “We cannot let all of these people die. Lance, the Balmera is dying. They will all die with it.”

“No they won’t. We have this, Allura. Paladin’s of Voltron, remember?”

“Lance! Can you read me?” Shiro’s voice called over the comms, and Lance gave his sister a reassuring smile. She took a breath and nodded, a determined look replacing the desperation.

“I can do more than that, Shiro. What’s the plan?” Lance asked, putting his helmet back on and taking the infectious determination from Shiro’s voice and from Allura’s looks.

“We take it out.” Pidge said.

“Save the world? I am so down!” Lance said and Hunk started telling them to form Voltron already.

“Hey, Lance,” Keith said over the comms and Lance looked over as his ignorant smirk appeared on screen, “Ending blow, determines winner.”

“Want to win that bad, huh?”

“I told you. I don’t lose.”

“Oh I am so taking you down a notch, Bangs. You’ll be my slave for a week!”

“Guys,” Shiro said, commanding yet still kind, Lance wasn’t sure how he did that, “Form Voltron.”

***

Lance thought the Robeast on Arus had been hard to defeat. This one had to of been fused with some form of reptilian like creature. It could see 180 degrees behind it’s head, had more canon blasters than Lance could currently count and no matter what they tried, it fired and hit them first before they could even get close. They couldn’t get close enough to use Voltron’ sword, and then they tried breaking up back into their individual Lion’s. Fire did not seem to be doing too much for them despite Keith and Red’s intense attacks. Lance used Blue’s ice powers, but still it only incased the Robeast for a few seconds before it broke free. They regrouped and continued to provoke and evade as the Robeast as Allura and Coran worked on getting the Balmeran’s up through the caverns and to the Castle.

“The Princess has the Balmeran’s coming up to the top of the caverns and I have triangulated an area to evacuate them. How’s the distraction going?”

“He’s pretty distracted! But I’m not sure for how much longer!” Keith said, a little snappy as he had Red roll in mid-air to avoid the multitude of green blasts that were firing off from the Robeast/

Lance heard the wailing from the Balmera through the metal shell of Blue. The very ground beneath them was beginning to split, the Balmera was dying, “Shiro. Shiro what are we going to do?” Lance heard Hunk ask.

“You know how I said in the cavern that we didn’t need to beat it?”

“Yes. Yes I remember that.” Hunk said quickly.

“I think we’ll have to beat it.”

“How? We won’t be able to beat it if we can’t take out all of those eyes.” Keith said with a grunt, Red circling and firing at will.

“Hey guys. Guys, guys, guys!” Hunk repeated.

“What is it, buddy?” Lance asked.

“You know how Keith’s lion showed him a way to beat that other Robeast?”

“Point, Hunk.” Pidge said a little short.

“’Low is telling me something. I think we can take out all of those eyes at once!”

“Are you sure?” Keith asked.

“Only one way to be sure. Go weapon thingy! Wait, it didn’t work?”

“We haven’t formed Voltron yet, Hunk.” Shiro said cut in, but Lance wasn’t really listening. The Robeast had swiveled one eye around and caught it’s attention to the landed Castle. There was a crystalline blue glow emitting from beneath the Castle. Allura. She was trying to complete the Giving Ritual. She was doing on a much grander scale what Lance had attempted to do with the Balmera’s heart. She was trying to save the noble creature. Shiro was yelling that they had to protect the princess, that they had to form Voltron again and Lance complied without thought. He had to protect those that suffered under Zarkon’s thumb, Balmeran’s, his fellow Paladin’s, his family. Slipping into their places within Voltron was becoming second nature. Before Lance could truly register it, he was planting Blue in an anchored position of partially bent knee and was readying to keep them up against a massive plasma blast. They fired Hunk’s weapon, but it wasn’t enough. It was like watching to large fires attempt to steal away the same oxygen. Keith deflected the blast with Red and they drew the beasts fire away from the ship again.

Blue was pushing into Lance’s mind, with an excitement as a screen opened up before his eyes. She wanted him to see what else Hunk’s weapon could do seconds before Hunk called out if they could all see what he was seeing. The yellow canon rematerialized on Voltron’s shoulder and this time when it fired, the blast burst into hundreds of smaller but equally ferocious projectiles that slammed into the Robeast, hitting it’s multitude of eyes. It staggered on its feet and as Hunk and Lance pushed Voltron forward, Keith pulled Red back in a large arc and landed a blow right in the Robeast’s final eye in the center of its chest. Sending the Robeast falling backward in defeat. By the end of it, Lance was panting for breath, but he wasn’t tasting blood, so he was going to take it as a win. Even though he lost the bet with Keith. They separated and landed around the Castle just in time to see the blueish glow explode and cover the entire Balmera. Lance was out of Blue and running toward the epicenter of the healing power as it receded. Allura was on the ground. Shay was gently lifting her up and Lance fell to his knees beside them in time with Coran. The orange mustached Altean was repeating her name over and over again as Lance took off his helmet. She wasn’t responding.

“Allura. Allura wake up.” Lance said softly, a fear filling him when she did not move. He heard footsteps behind him. Boots and clawed stone feet. The other Paladin’s had made their way to the scene, and more Balmera were encircling them too. “’Llurie… you can’t leave me. I can’t lose anyone else.” he almost whined out, his voice cracking just enough to cause the footsteps to stop at a polite distance.

“Did… did it work?” Allura groaned out as she slowly opened her eyes. Lance felt his heart stop when she looked over at him. Concern filled her face as she reached over to him, “Lachlan… you are glinting. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. What about you?” Lance asked as he fought back his glint, “Just had to show up and save a Balmera I see.”

“So it did work. I am glad.” Allura said as Shay helped her up. There was a grinding sound behind them, and Lance caught the fear that was filling in Allura’s eyes as he turned and saw the beast. Rising from the ground where Keith had struck it. Presumably dead.

“Oh no.”

“It can’t be.”

“How could it survive that hit?”

The Robeast’s enter eye began to glow as it powered up, the Balmera gave another loud grumbling moan that shook the very earth beneath them. A crystal began to form at the feet of the Robeast. It spread up its legs, over its body incasing it in a thick and massive crystal that immobilized it completely.

“The Balmera. It saved us.” Coran said in awe.

“Who’s a good Balmera?” Hunk cooed out, dropping to his knees beside Lance as he started to scratch the ground beneath them, “You are, yes you are!”

Lance thought he heard Keith ask what Hunk was doing, but all Lance could do was stare. They had won. They had completed their first real mission. Save Shay and her people. Saved the Balmera, and they had done it all together.

“How can we ever thank you?” Shay asked, looking between them and lingering her gaze on Hunk.

“We’re just glad we could help, Shay.” Hunk replied, but Lance caught the hint of pink that was rising on his dark skin, “But… but we should check on the rest of your people. Make sure they’re… you know… okay and stuff.” He muttered quickly, “Lance… think… a little help?”

“Got you, buddy.” Lance said after he looked over at Allura to make sure she was okay. She nodded and Lance left her in the very capable hands of Coran and a concerned Shiro. Standing just in time to see Keith staring at him.

"Let me help." Keith said at him with little question to his tone. 

Lance nodded and wiped at his face, taking extra care to rub at his Alteabrands to wear off the light blue glow, "Yeah. Let's put you to use." 

"Me to use, you're the one with the-" 

"Guys," Pidge cut across with a sigh as she pulled off her helmet and placed her glasses on her nose, "You are both the same size. Let's go." 

"What do you mean by that?" Lance said almost in unison with an confused and annoyed Keith. 

Shay began to giggle softly, "It is like watching two young ones attempt to impress a mate. Or each other." 

Lance was coughing, and Keith... Keith was seeing red as he stormed off towards the caverns to check on the Balmeran's, swearing in words Lance did not understand. 


	11. Crystal  Venom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team has earned some well deserved rest after kicking Galra and Ro-beast butt on Balmera. And that is exactly the plan. A little recreational interrogation, some crystal diagnostics, gourmet space goo, simulator training and some golf old buffing of medical pods. Just a typical Paladin down time. That is until the Castle turns muderous and Lance becomes its number one target.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Altean Lance lovers of AO3!! Thank you for your patience, your encouragement, the hits, the kudos, and your comments! (And a special thank you to my Beta readers! Sorry I didn't mean to neglect you this chapter!). This is part one of the Crystal Venom episode. Second half should be up early next week!

Her brows were furrowed causing wrinkles on her perfect forehead.  Allura gaped at him, and she had been that way for about… ten dobashes?  Lance hadn’t exactly been counting. He had told her about the bet he and Keith had made and unlike Lance's laughing at the proposed prize, she was floored by the agreed on winnings.  She leaned in on her knuckles in a very un-princess like fashion and whispered, “You did not agree, did you?”

“Yeah.  That's why I'm telling you.”

“Lachlan, how?  You are a Prince of Altea!  You cannot become some… some…”

“Paladin’s?” He tried to help.

Allura let out a grumble as she slowly took a breath, “No, Paladin or not.  You cannot be… do they even know what that word means?”

“It must not be the same on Earth.  I talked to Hunk about it and he said he was his cousins slave when they were in Forth grade.  Whatever that means.”

“Lance, you know what a cousin is."

“No, Forth grade.  I'm assuming it's a time period where they are in a certain learning state.”

“Lance! Focus.  You agreed to be Keith's Saratpai!  His SLAVE,” she enunciated, “it is just… you will no longer have a will.  It has been banned for a reason.”

“’Llurie you’re getting all wound up for nothing.  I told you.  The bet was for whoever got the ending blow.”

“Which you told me was Keith.  With the Red Lion.  To the chest.  You even re-enacted it.”  Allura said flatly.

“Hey!  I’m proud of that actually.  But dear sister, that was when you stopped listening.  Remember, the Ro-beast came back to life or whatever and the Balmera took care of it.  So, if we go by the original bet of who took out more Galra, I… am honestly not sure who won.”

“Keep it that way.  If you let him put that tech in your head you will do anything he’ll ask. Without any choice at all. No one won. That is that.”  Allura said as she straightened up and smoothed out her robes, gesturing that the conversation was over. 

Lance grinned and reached out to push some of Allura’s un-cooperating hair behind her ear and out of her face.  She looked up at him with a soft smile that turned into a roll of her eyes as Lance’s grin broadened, “But… could you imagine what things he’ll ask me to do?”  he waggled his eyebrows in what he hoped was a mock sexy manner,  Allura scoffed disgusted and pushed her brother away.  “Come on, ‘Llurie!  I know you’ve seen that dagger he carries, shiny toys for big boys!”

“Lachlan.  I know how you are.  You do not have to laugh or joke through your pain.  We both miss her.”

Lance felt his heart sink.  On Altea, twins were a rare birth.  In fact, to Lance’s knowledge, there hadn’t been twins recorded on the Altean’s home world in decades before they were born.  Allura was a part of him, and he was a part of her.  He knew when she was sad, and the process worked the other way around. Made lying extremely difficult.  He forced his grin back up on his face and twisted it into a smirk, “Don’t worry about me, Allura.  I’m not all jokes and laughs, when I find Zarkon, I will destroy him.  The past isn’t holding me back.  It’s propelling me forward.  We will win this.  The only thing that matters is Voltron.  Don’t worry about me.”

“You are my little brother, Lachsey.  I will always worry about you,” She reached out and grabbed Lance’s face pulling him down.  Lance tried to win the silent staring contest they were engaged in but he lost as she quickly turned his face and pressed her pink brands to Lance’s blue ones.  She nuzzled against him in a manner that reminded him on how their Mother would do something similar when they had been sad.  She then released him, nodded curtly returning to her Princess poise, “But you are right.  Voltron is our priority.  We will defeat Zarkon.  For Father.  For Keita.  For everyone in the Galaxy.”

Lance returned her nod and followed it with a exaggerated wink and grin, “Speaking of priorities, why aren’t you resting?  That Rejuvenation process with the Balmera must have almost killed you.”

“That is what Coran said when I was visiting with Father.  By the way, why have you not gone to see him?  He has asked about you.  Though, I would not bring up the ‘slave’ thing.  You know how he felt about that entire program.”

Lance’s sinking feeling was back as he looked down at the white galley flooring, “I… I just haven’t…”

The sound of the galley door drew both of their attention as it opened and Keith stood in the doorway.  He had a glass of bubble milk in his hand and seemed shocked and then genuinely irritated to see them.  Allura bristled a little at the sight of her brother’s would be ‘owner’.  Lance burst out into chuckles and nudged his twin with his elbow to ease her up, “Why don’t you go get some rest, ‘Llurie?”  She took the hint, but her blue and pink eyes did not leave Keith as she greeted, then walked past him.

Keith waved in greeting as she glided by him, and Lance noticed that he watched her as she walked away.  But not exactly in an admiring manner.  It was more like he was sizing her up.

“She’d kick your hair short buddy.”

“What does that even mean?” Keith asked, draining the rest of his drink and walking past Lance to the kitchen at the back of the galley.

“My sister.  Would wipe the floor with you.” Lance said with a roll of his shoulders, “Anyway, if you’re here to collect you’re out of luck.”

“I know.  The Balmera took out that lizard thing.  But I did take out a Galra war ship… so I think I still won.”

“That wasn’t the final and evolved form of the bet.  You lose, Bangs.” Lance said with a stretch.

“So did you!”

“It isn’t a contest, Keith.”

Lance watched as Keith washed his glass, dried it, and put it away, “I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what it was.”.  The Red Paladin then turned and walked straight for him.  Keith reached out with his fingerless gloved hands and poked at Lance’s brands, “Your face is glowing.  Thought you said you had control of that shit? Anyway, Shiro and Coran are looking for us.  Doing something with Sendak’s memories.”

“Doing what?”

“I don’t know, Lance.  Just that they’re using the technology Coran had for Alfor on Sendak?”  Keith pulled back his hand and walked through the galley door, “You coming?”

Walking beside a brooding human was awful.  Lance tried multiple times to start up a conversation, or even a fight, and Keith answered with one-word answers, or not at all.  When they got to the containment room Shiro, Hunk, Coran and Pidge were already there.  Shiro was staring at the stasis pod Sendak was incased in, and Coran was hooking the pod up with long cords. 

“How will it work?” Pidge asked, buzzing around the fluid incased technology.  Lance half listened as Coran explained how they were going to hook the unwilling Sendak up to the memory banks to see if they could figure out any information on Zarkon’s plans.  Lance left Keith leaning against an empty stasis pod and went to stand next to Shiro.

“Do you think this is a good idea, Shiro?” Lance asked, nudging the Black Paladin’s shoulder with his but Shiro didn’t answer.  “Shiro?  Hey?  Big guy?  Captain my Captain?”

“Huh?”

“Are you sure hooking Sendak up to an artificial intelligence technology is a good idea?”

Shiro continued to stare at the Galra prisoner, “We need more information on Zarkon’s plans, and this is the first lead we could work with since you, Allura and Coran got out of stasis.  I don’t think we have a choice.”

“Hey, is it supposed to do that?” Hunk asked as Coran tapped a panel and the large tube glowed, than dimmed out.

“This… maybe a few varga’s.” Coran said a moment later as he started to make some more adjustments. 

 

***

 

Lance was the only one left with Shiro when Coran finally gave up.

“I’ll stay with him.  He needs to be watched…” Shiro trailed off as Coran turned on Lance and started to usher him outside of the detainment room.

“Well, I suppose I will go ahead and get some of that relaxation in.  Maybe see if Hunk wants to make me some ‘lemonade’ he’s always talking about.”

“Oh no you don’t.” Coran said quickly, “You’re going to help me.”

“But, why?  Coran go ask Pidge!  She would be so much more useful with fixing up ship systems than me!”

“Than, ‘I’.”  Coran corrected.

Lance grunted, “Than ‘I’.  Though I don’t think that’s right either but, Hey!  Anyway, go get her!”

“Nope.  You are the last one here.  Should have run instead of doing your leg twirlies.”  
“They were stretches.”

“Oh well, doesn’t matter.  This way, Prince Lance!”

Lance looked back over at Shiro, “Come find me if you need… anything.”

“Yeah.  Yeah I’ll do that.  Go with Coran.” Shiro said without glancing back over at him, obviously focused on his own task.  Lance couldn’t help but frown at little at the dismissal but he followed Coran with limited resistance as they walked down the hall, then down to levels to the medical stasis tubes.  Once within the medical ward, Coran hovored his hand over a central console and nine medical pods rose from the ground.  Coran gave him a buffer and pointed to the nearest pod and Lance got to work.  Third one in he started groaning in protest, “Since when is it ‘you use it, you clean it’?  Should have just let me die – ow!!  What the Quiznak!” Lance turned around and glared at the brush Coran had thrown at him.

“Don’t ever say that.”

“Got it got it, it was just a joke.” Lance said, picking up the brush and handing it back to Coran.  The orange haired Altean took it and began regaling Lance of a time when he had had such thoughts.  Then he joined the Altean Military Service to the King.  Learning to clean pods similar to the ones Lance was now scrubbing the insides of apparently helped Coran find purpose.  Coran continued with his life experiences and Lance truly listened intently because he had no idea Coran had ever had a down time in his life.  He was distracted however, by a sudden soft beeping within the pod he was in.  His pointed ears twitched and he turned suddenly as he heard the reinforced glass cover of the pod slide down shut.  Coran was facing away from him, twirling his mustache in his between his thumb and index finger.  Lance started to bang on the glass casing in vain, he knew the damned things were sound proof and Coran was too busy demonstrating the proper way to clean the inside of a pod or… something, Lance couldn’t tell.  His feet began to freeze, and it continued up his long legs to his thighs, hips and abdomen.  The pod began to drop down into the ground and as the light was quickly stolen from Lance he was left in the dark with a dim blue glow of the cyrotube working to put him slowly into stasis.  Alone, in the dark and with his lungs slowly freezing.  Lance hit the glass again, his fingers going numb to the point he could not make a fist.  He gasped and each breath was slicing into his lungs to a point that brought tears to his eyes.  Which froze too.  The process was broken.  Regular stasis was instantaneous, froze you there.  This was torture.  And then there was light again.

“Well, what in the name of Quantar the Wise are you doing in there?”  Coran yelled as he pushed the panel to reverse the process.  Blissfully warm air engulfed Lance as he collapsed out of the pod into Coran’s grasp.

“The… the… the ships trying to k-kill me!”  Lance chattered as he tried to warm himself.  Coran handed him the human jacket Hunk had given Lance to wear, he snatched it up.

“It’s more likely you tripped and hit something.”

“No, the ship closed it on me and tried to freeze me to death!”

Coran shook his head and patted Lance on the back, “If you wanted out so badly you really could have just said so.  Go on, go take a warm shower, I’ll finish up here.”

Lance slipped on the jacket Coran had handed him and he smiled a little as he walked out of the medical ward to the tune of Coran humming and the sound of buffers whizzing.  Maybe he had hit something accidentally.

He really wanted to go take a shower.  Something warm because even in the artificial warmth of the ship he felt like he was trembling.  The shaking took it longer for him to make it down the halls and levels of the Castle.  Lance turned down the long corridor that lead down to his room and he sighed in relief.  His bed.  It was so close.  He took a step and the lights at the far end of the corridor flickered then went out. 

“Hello?”  Lance called out with an added nervous laugh.  More lights flickered and then died steadily up the corridor to where Lance stood.  “Very funny!  Cut it out!”  Lance squinted into the darkness and he instinctually reached for his Bayard.  But he wasn’t in his Paladin armor.  A flash of off blue light shimmered at the end of the corridor.  Lance heard his name being called, then someone was crying out for help.  Those same instincts that had him reaching for his Bayard had him running down the hall to the sound of distress.  The closer he got, the more he recognized the voice.  Coran.  Coran was in trouble.  At the end of the quarter's hallway was a sharp left and then another long corridor that had a red light flashing at its end.

“Help!  Lance I’m stuck in the airlock!”

“Hold on Coran!” Lance said as he slid to a stop in front of the red flashing light of the airlock.  Lance punched in the code to open the airlocks first door and stepped inside.  He stood stunned when he found no Coran, no anyone within its confines.  Then, for the second time in the better part of an hour, the Castle shut a door on him.  His keen ears heard the countdown start before the automated voice announced it.  He saw that flash of off blue light again move toward the air lock and Lance started to bang on the doors and press the intercom button to call through the doors for help.  The visage stopped before the glass door and Lance saw him clearly.  It was his Father.  Or at least the artificial intelligence of Alfor.  What Lance remembered of caring blue eyes were cold and full of a disappointment.

“Father, please, open the door.”  Lance pleaded, his gaze darting from the artificial stare of Alfor to the flashing red light.

“This is your fault…” Alfor said darkly.  Lance’s eyes widened as his Father stared at him with distain, “I cannot believe I expected more of you.”

“Father!  Father wait!” Lance choked out as the hologram continued its steps down the hall and flickered out of view.  “Father!  Come back… please come back.” Lance felt his long legs start to give beneath him.  Between battling a Ro-beast, doing his stretches, running in place and being frozen, they were just about through with being useful.  Now he was alone, with maybe forty ticks left before he was sucked out into space.  Lance slammed his fists against the reinforced doors, he’d try to get out until he no longer had the opportunity.  He tried not to panic as the beeping became faster and faster and just when he started to hear the seals start to break behind him when Keith was slammed up against the barrier by a Gladiator. 

“Keith what the?  I’m in big trouble here, get me out!”  Lance yelled in relief.

"You're in trouble?!” Keith snapped as his Bayard clashed with an energy blade, “What are you doing in there, Lance?” Keith almost snarled as he pushed the Gladiator back with a loud grunt.

"Oh you know, I just wanted to see the Castle from the outside.  Take a stroll."

"Don't -ugh- let me stop you."

"Kind of serious here, Keith!" Lance yelled with a final fist against the glass as the seals in the doors behind him started to open.  He yelled frantically as his numb legs lifted up from the ground as all air was sucked out of the airlock.  Lance grabbed onto a circuit boards edge as Keith was elbowed by the Gladiator and rolled back against the airlock doors.  Keith sidestepped the next slash of the Gladiators energy sword and hit the manual release which caused another rush of sucked out air to pull on Lance's body.  The Gladiator flew past him and it's body disintegrated the further it fell from the Castle.  Lance was about to let go when rough leather bound hands grabbed his wrist and yanked his arm out of its socket to pull him back past the airlock barrier.  The doors slammed shut and Lance landed on Keith with a bark of pain.

It took him some time to get his baring’s but when he finally did he pushed himself up off of Keith and arched a brow, "We have to quit meeting like this."

"Just get off me already. What the hell were you doing in there anyway?” Keith asked as he pushed himself up and dematerialized his Bayard. He held out a hand and Lance took it to hoist himself up.

“I'm pretty sure someone is trying to kill me.”

“Your Dad?” Keith asked bluntly, when Lance didn't answer right away he continued, “Heard you calling out for him in between weapons clashing.” Keith shook his hand out of Lance’s grasp and started to walk back toward the simulator and the detainment room. Lance fell into step beside him without thought.

He spoke up before they passed the simulator, “I don't know.”

“Well, at least that's something we can find out. Let's get check in on Hunk and Pidge then-“ Keith was cut off by Coran stepping out of a lift right into them.

“Ah! Number two, and Prince Lance! Not who I was looking for but you'll do.” Coran chirped out and turned them around towards the Green Lion’s tower.

“Coran, were kind of busy.” Keith tried but the cheery Altean cut him off.

“Someone's cut the artificial gravity in the Green Tower. That's where I left number five and the Galra power crystal. I'll need your help to set it right.”

“Convenient. Bangs and I are looking for Pidge and Hunk anyway. Got to make sure the Castle hasn't done them in.”

“The Castle! Don't be silly, Prince Lachlan. Although…”

“Although, what?” Keith asked, annoyance lacing his tone.

“Cutting off A.G deliberately would be a great way to incapacitate a target. If the Castle was trying to hurt you Paladin’s. But that's impossible.” Coran finished as he stopped in front of the Green Lion’s massive bunker like door. From behind it they could hear Pidge yelling, then a thud against metal and more yelling, “Unless…”

“Override the door Coran!” Lance urged and he readied himself to shapeshift to attack if needed as Keith rematerialized his Bayard. He couldn't help but sigh however, when the doors opened and the only danger Hunk and Pidge had encountered was a plausible bout of motion sickness.

“Hunk! This is no time to take a nap!” Lance called as Keith and Coran reactivated the A.G. Hunk crashed to the ground but Lance barely caught Pidge.

“I was not taking a nap. Pidge and I were attacked by food so we came in here to try and figure out if the glowy purple crystal thing was messing with the Castle and then the artificial gravity went out and we were stuck! I mean… if we can't trust food, Lance… we can't trust anything. What kind of world would it-”

“Has anyone seen Shiro?” Keith cut in as Lance put Pidge down.

“He must still be in the containment room with Sendak. But I mean… he's fine. It isn't like the stasis pod could malfunction and wake Sendak up.” Pidge said as she straightened her glasses.

Keith looked over to Lance and the both booked it as Pidge, Hunk and Conan called after them.


	12. Saying goodbye is never easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Castle has lost it, it's trying to kill everyone off and capture the Lion's. Lance has some difficult faults to face. And maybe, he'll let them get the better of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter full of Langst. Like really. He almost dies, finds out he isn't the only one struggling with quilt, and finally goes to see his father. 
> 
> Warning!! Though I have put Langst in my tags, and I've rated this accordingly as Mature, this chapter may have some triggers for some readers. There is some violence, swears and thoughts of giving up on everything for our sweet ocean boy. But I promise, I gets better.
> 
> Thank you for sticking with my fic! And of course, your comments, hits, kudos, overall appreciation and encouragement mean the WORLD to me.<3 I adore you all!

Lance and Keith slid to a stop in front of the detainment room. Keith hit the pad to open the sliding door, but it did not respond. He hit it again with more force and grumbled swears Lance just had to learn. An alarm sounded behind the metal door, Lance heard muffled shouts and then the distinct sound of a detainment pod being dislodged. Keith tried to slip his fingers into the seam of the door and force it open. When he couldn’t get any leverage on the Altean architecture, he slammed his Bayard blade into it to help. Not having his Bayard, Lance pulled at the door, but he couldn’t get the momentum behind it that he needed. His arms were long, but they weren’t strong enough to wrench open a correctional door, even being an Altean.

“Keith, move over.”

“How about you help me instead of just stand there! Shiro! Shiro can you hear me?”

“Keith, just, trust me. Move.” Lance said as he shouldered Keith to the left in order to get him a more centered access to the unrelenting door. Lance closed his eyes to better ignore Keith’s berating words as he concentrated. He lacked many things that came easy to his sister. Allura could hide her glinting, could shift with minimal effort, control the Castle, and open up wormholes. It wasn’t that Lance couldn’t do the same things as Allura. He just always had a harder route in achieving the desired results. Even down to his hair. Hours of practice and he still couldn’t pull off ‘regal’ like Allura. He had a messy, just out of bed look. Lance thought of the few shapeshifting forms he was semi good at, Balmeran’s, Otantivo’s and the Galra. He choose the later due to the advantage and strength he would need. Balmeran’s were strong, but far to heavy and he was worried about the floor stability, and Otantivo’s… Lance really just didn’t want to clean up the mess. Plus, he did have an intimate familiarity to the Galra race. From working with them. His body vibrated, as muscles built up on top of his own, he grew larger, his ears fanned out into a more Thryry Cat shape than pointed tan and his skin took on a purple hue, bleeding out his naturally bronzed skin. Keith’s demeaning swears stopped short as he stared up at him. Lance smirked, and then let out a hiss as his now enlarged canines sliced into this lip. Lance dug his clawed hands into the steel and pulled. In his mind, the dug in claws would act as the leverage he needed to pry open the door. Instead, his massive Galra shifted claws tore into the metal. He ripped at it, tearing the door apart as Keith helped hack away at the metal. Keith went through first and was at Shiro’s side within millitick’s. Lance followed him and took long strides to their side, noting that Sendak was gone, he knelt down next to the memory tech Coran had hooked the pod up too. It was faded pink in colour and seemed to have little of Sendak’s intact memory. He felt something hard press up against the back of his head and Lance froze.

“Shiro! Easy, man.” Keith’s voice sounded to Lance’s right. A pinkish purple glow brightened in Lance’s peripheral, “It’s Lance, Shiro.”

“I have too… I,” Shiro whispered, “Sendak is dangerous.”

“I’m not Sendak! Shiro? Buddy? Captain my Captain?” Lance stammered as he tried to focus his body back to his natural form before Shiro used that gloving Galra arm of his. It hurt a lot more going back to his actual self than changing into something else. Which Lance was sure was some kind of enlightening realization or something, but he didn’t exactly have time to ponder it as he put his hands up to show no malice and slowly stood. When he turned around, Shiro was panting. Sweat was dripping from his brow as a confusion crossed his features.

Lance smiled and added a nervous wave as the Champion lowered his glowing knifed hand and stared. “Hey, been a fun day, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah. Sorry, Lance. I didn’t… How did you do that?”

Keith placed a hand of Shiro’s shoulder, but quickly removed it as Coran, Hunk and Pidge called to them through the shredded door to see if they were okay.

“Lance what did you do to this door? Do you know how much work it takes to fix these hinges? And the… just look at the control pad! Who smashed it?” Coran sighed, his mustache twitching in contained frustration. When his blue gaze fell on Lance, the Altean Prince pointed to Keith, who glared back at him. Shiro straightened himself up in a very military fashion and looked between the members of his team, “What, is going on?”

“The Castle is trying to kill us.” Lance and Keith said in unison, while Pidge and Hunk started to talk at once.

“Jinx!” Hunk called, and Lance looked at him confused, the larger teen shrugged it off with a soft grin.

“I think it’s the Galra crystal that was hooked up to the Castle. It must have uploaded a virus to the Castle systems. Causing the Castle itself to get our Lions.” Pidge piped in.

“And what? Get rid of us all and leave the Castle unprotected?” Hunk asked with attempted sarcasm, but there was a slight tremor in his voice as he tried to laugh it off.

“It makes sense.” Shiro said as he brought the very hand he had threatened Lance with up to his chin in thought, “It’s working the same way a lone operative would. Going in on a mission to eliminate an enemy. That’s how I’d do it.”

“Me too.” Keith added.

Lance glanced at them both in disbelief but he couldn’t deny that if he were so inclined, it’s a lot easier to take out an enemy one at a time, then all together.

“What are you guys even talking about? It’s a CRYSTAL. It isn’t alive. I mean it could upload a virus, but virus’ aren’t vengeful. They follow a set program.” Hunk asked again with a nonchalant shrug, and Pidge rolled her eyes over at him.

She pointed up at the taller of the humans, “Unless, it is an adaptive program, Hunk.”

Alarms started to blare and Coran was out the destroyed door and down the hall before Lance could register the alarms purpose. Lance followed behind Shiro and Keith. Hunk behind him and Pidge struggling to keep up with her short legs. “Coran! What is going on?” she yelled

“The Teledouve has been activated.” Lance called behind him.

“We’re wormholing? Where?!”

“Great question. Any answers, Coran? Lance?” Shiro asked as they piled into the lift up to the Control Deck.

“Only Allura can tell us where we’re heading too. And,” Coran faltered in his cheeriness as the lift doors opened and they all saw Allura. She was in her nightgown. Her hair was pulled back in a large braid she usually slept in and she was smiling. Hands out over the controls of the Castle.

Lance rushed toward her but he was stopped by an erected barrier and then his father’s face rose up on it, “GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!”

Lance fell to the ground and he looked up in a startled bewilderment as Alfor stepped from the barrier blocking them from his twin and moved to stand before Allura.

They came out of the wormhole and Allura sighed in genuine relief, “Father, oh Father, look! It is Altea. As beautiful as I remember it.”

Lance heard Shiro and Coran call to his sister. Hunk and Keith helped Lance back up to his feet and Pidge ran to an unshielded monitor to see what she could do to get the barrier down. He watched as Alfor paid no attention to him and focused solely on Allura. He was speaking softly to her, and she was smiling, laughing, nodding.

They had been revived for the better part of two weeks and Lance hadn’t seen her smile like that since they stepped out of their pods. Was this what he had been missing each time she offered for him to go with her to their father? When Coran had made the suggestion that instead of battling in the simulator, Lance go seek guidance from Alfor. Spend time with the collective consciousness of his dad. His King. And now –

“Lance.” Keith placed a hand on Lance’s shoulder, and he wasn’t going to lie, it startled him to look over. Keith must have noticed because he retracted his hand as if the contact had burned him. “Is there any other way to slow down the ship? She’s taking us right into that exploding star.”

“I… I can’t control the ship. Only Allura can.” Lance whispered, his gaze wandering back to his smiling sister.

“The virus.” Pidge said quickly.

“It’s adapted! Just like Pidge said it would!” Hunk panicked.

“Like I said it ‘could’,” she corrected, “And it has. I triangulated the exact path we’re on, and it is not taking us directly into that collapsing sun. Well I mean, it is.”

“Destroying the ship isn’t the mission…” Shiro said as he reached down to help Lance up, “The shields should protect the Castle. But no particle barrier would shield us from that amount of radiations, right?”

“Don’t look at me.” Hunk added.

“Altean technology is advanced. Maybe it would protect us?” Pidge asked.

“You are correct, it will protect us from the radiation, but not the temperature. We’ll boil like Jarkoriak Eggs!” Coran said with a seriousness that didn’t match the statement.

“Allura, just look at it. Soon we will be home.” Alfor said, his voice loud over the alarms.

“All of us?” Allura asked, her brows furrowed in concern as she started to look around. Lance wasn’t exactly sure what illusion she was seeing besides an intact Altea on the view screen. “Father, where is Lachlan? And Coran? Shouldn’t they be here with us?”

“Coran is already back on Altea, remember my darling?” Alfor soothed, and Allura smiled again for a moment before she was looking around again, in obvious confusion.

“Is Lachlan already there too?” she asked, turning around to look right at Lance, but he knew she didn’t see him, even as he called her name.

Alfor reached out and cupped Allura’s cheek tenderly, Lance watched her lean into the touch and he felt his stomach twist in a longing for something he didn’t even realize he had missed. “Allura, your brother has betrayed us.”

Her eyes snapped open from there content state and she shook her head, “No. My brother is not a traitor. Father you know that.”

“Do you not remember my daughter? He sided with Zarkon. He and Keita turned their back on us, on Altea.”

“No… Lach – Lance would not. He wouldn’t side with a monster like Zarkon.”

“Allura, it was Lance who brought him to Altea in the first place. Was he not the one who told us to trust him? Told Matoria and Hadrian to join with him? Lance has chosen his side in this war. And he chose it opposite of us.”

Lance saw tears start to build in Allura’s eyes. She was trying to mentally sort out how their father was wrong. But she had always been obedient to him, always trusted him to make the right decisions for their people, she respected him. And she was right too, but that wasn’t their father. “Allura!” Lance screamed her name, “It’s me, Lachlan! That isn’t our Father! Allura, please, can you hear me?”

“Princess!” Shiro yelled too, “It’s no use, I don’t think she can hear us through that barrier.” Shiro said through gritted teeth.

“She has too. Allura! Remember the promise I made you, when I became a Paladin?” Lance yelled, and Allura’s ears seemed to twitch slightly. Alfor’s kind gaze became like steel as he looked over Allura’s shoulder directly at Lance, but Lance tried to ignore the pain in his chest resulting from the look. “Even though our paths were going to lead us down different roads for our people, we would always be together. Didn’t matter distance, or arguments we had, or the fact that you were always right. I am right here! I will always be right here, Allura, look at me!”

Allura turned against Alfor’s hold and looked directly at him again. Her eyes widened as the illusion shattered with Alfor ripping his hand away from her cheek. She saw him, and Lance’s smile. She started to return it with a sigh when Alfor grabbed Allura by the collar of her nightgown. “Are you betraying me too, Allura? My own children?” She struggled in dysphoric confusion, and she began to shake her head that she hadn’t. She began to plead that Alfor not think such a think and she made a sound close to a yelp as his grip tightened. He pushed her back and shoved her out through the barrier, and Lance and Shiro caught her. Shiro helped her to her feet as Lance checked her over quickly, “’Llurie, are you okay?”

“I knew it could not be true. I… I am fine. We have to stop the Castle’s decent.”

Lance watched as Allura’s pain and confusion fell away to Princess duty and she looked up at Shiro, “Go to your Lion’s, try and slow down the Castle and I will… stop my Father.”  
“You heard the Princess,” Shiro ordered and the four of them started toward the lift from the Control Deck.

Lance left his sister in the capable hands of his new leader despite not wanting to leave her. He offered her a smile, and she mirrored it with a soft, “I heard you, loud mouth. Thank you.” Lance nodded with a flashy grin and as he started toward the lift he heard Coran start in on Allura with a plan that would involve destroying Alfor’s collective consciousness. That they would lose him forever. Allura said something along the lines of ‘no choice’ and Lance cursed his excellent hearing for the crack he heard in her voice.

“Hey, Lance.”

He stopped as Keith grabbed him by the arm. The shorter human glared up at him through his dark bangs, and Lance grunted out a sound similar to ‘what’. Keith waited until Shiro passed them and his scowl disappeared, “You should stay.”

“Why, think I’ll mess this up?” Lance grumbled. He really wasn’t in the mood to have Keith start beilq with him.

“What? No. I… I never got to say goodbye to my old man. Or, my mom. I know… I know you’ll regret it if you don’t stay and go with the Princess.” Keith’s intent stare was off him now, and the Red Paladin shrugged, “Do what you want. Just trying to help.”

“I’ll… Keith,” Lance said as Keith shrugged, “I had no idea, I-” he started, but Keith walked toward the lift and hit the pad to shut the door on Lance.

Allura was staring at him as Lance turned from where his four fellow Paladin’s left him. He reached out his hand to her and Coran pushed Allura gently forward as she clasped onto him. Their fingers laced together like when they were little and he pulled Allura forward to the lift. She looked back at the red barrier that stood between them and the visage of their father and she squeezed Lance’s hand. He returned the action to grab her attention, “Allura, are you ready?” he asked, and she gave him a curt nod. 

***

“If you do this, you will never see me again!” Alfor yelled, “You are going to kill me, Lachlan. Again.”

Lance froze as Alfor’s words hit him like a slap across the face. The corrupted program that housed their fathers consciousness had tried bribery, threats, past memories and not guilt to stall for time. Each hateful word had been painful to hear. And it became all the worse when their fathers actual consciousness fought back the corruption and encouraged them to purge his memories. The virus fought the actual program as Lance and Allura stood at the large cylinder that held all of Alfor’s collective memories and his very mental being.

“I didn't kill you. Zarkon did.” Lance whispered.

“Lance, don't listen.” Allura urged.

“Do it, son. It is the only - do you think Zarkon let me die quickly? You have no idea what he did to me after you two were safely away. This was all your fault, Lance. He would not have known our position if you had not confided in him. He would not have caught Keita. He would not have slit Hadrian’s throat. The blood of millions of Altean’s would have been spared if not for you.”

“I… I am so sorry, Father.”

“Do not call me that,” Alfor spat, and Lance flinched, “You are no son of mine.”

“Father!” Allura yelled in protest, but Lance shook his head. Alfor was right, even if it was the corrupted virus, it was his fault. He had swore Zarkon was a friend to Altea. A friend to the universe. His friend. And he had been so wrong.

“No, ‘Llurie… he's right,”

“No, Lance. That's just the program trying to stop us from ending it.”

“Do you want to make amends?” Alfor asked.

Lance stopped listening to his twin as Alfor reached for him. Warm hands reached up to cup his chin, Lance searched the advanced holographic face of his father. He wanted to see a smile in his bearded features, a kind word, a hug, anything. He started to nod unconsciously and as Lance heard Allura call out to him that he had done nothing wrong, Alfor smiled at him. It was genuine, and laced with a sadness Lance could feel in his heart, “then be a good son, do as I say.” Alfor spoke softly. Those strong hands slipped from cupping Lance’s jawline to down around his throat. A pressure started to build as they wrapped around his neck and squeezed. Instinct kicked in and Lance reached up to try and pry off his fathers hands when Alfor calm demeanor changed again to a terrifying almost crazed look, “Do not fight! Do as I say, or are you trying to disappoint me again?!”

Lance let go. It would be easier. He was distracting the program so Allura could purge it. And even though he knew this wasn't actually his father, in a way, he could make up for the guilt he felt. He could be replaced. He started to see a reddish black start to frame his vision as he gasped. Allura was screaming for it to stop, begging for their father to fight the program, “Father please! Fight! He will let you kill him, please do not let him! I cannot lose you both!”

Lance was ready to embrace the sweetness of darkness, when Alfor dropped him. He crumpled to the floor and gasped for breath. Allura grabbed him and pulled him up to his feet, “Lachsley, I did it.”

Lance had a hand up to his neck, he wanted to massage the bruised muscle but it hurt so bad he wasn't sure he could apply any soothing movements.

“Lachlan.”

Lance looked up and Alfor was above them, his face was that of horror at his actions and Lance looked between Allura and their father. He his program was starting to flicker in and out before them. The steel cold gaze of the Galra corrupted influence seemed to be gone, “By the ancient ones, Lachlan, what did I do?”

“You,” Lance emphasized, “didn't do anything, it was that virus. But… here I am again, unable to save you.”

“Father, we are so sorry.” Allura whispered, “while Lance distracted it, I tried. But I could not separate the virus from your program, I had to shut down all of it, all of you.”

“So you did save me. My children working together. I am so proud of you both. Allura you have grown into a worthy leader, and Lance, you have done nothing but make me proud.”

“I am so sorry I didn't come to see you sooner!” Lance blurted, “I… I miss you, Father.” He watched as Allura stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the hologram. She looked back at him and held out her hand with a sad smile and Lance took it. She pulled him forward and Alfor clasped both his children in a hug that squished them together. Lance dug his fingers into Alfor's robes ands he felt them disappear and reappear under his touch.

“It is okay, my son. I knew you would eventually come to see me. I am just so sorry it happened as it has. And that I…” he stopped when Lance squeezed him harder, “I will miss you both dearly. Be strong for each other, be strong for Voltron.”

Lance looked up in sync with his twin and Alfor released them both, “I have always loved you both.”

“Father!” Allura cried, and Lance reached out and out a hand on her shoulder.

“Good bye.” Lance said for them both, Alfor smiled and everything went dark.

They sat there in the dark for what felt like a long time, but it really could have been minutes. They talked about there favourite memories with their father, an Altean funeral custom. Allura hummed the Royal Altean Anthem and Lance joined her, and then they laughed as they focused on good memories. Not bad. Light spilled into the holographic dome that was their fathers final resting place and when Lance looked up what was left of his family and friends stood there. Hunk ran at them first followed by Shiro, Coran and Pidge. Keith followed slowly behind them, and after Hunk pulled Lance to his feet and Shiro held out a hand to Allura, Keith looked at him. Lance was glad for the pats on the back Hunk gave him, the super cute achieved grin that Pidge beamed up at him and the questions of what happened from his new commander. But even though there were ‘I'm sorry, man’ from Hunk, and a fear of a similar fate behind Pidge’s grin, Kieth looked like he just had a prize ripped away from him. Lance got to do something that he never had the opportunity to do. And Lance wouldn't have gotten to do so, if Keith hadn't opened up to him. Lance hugged Hunk with his thanks, gave Pidge a smile telling her they would find her father, which she returned and with comforting and questioning Allura about what had happened, Lance grabbed Keith by the wrist and drug him from the dome.

“Hey, Lance! Buddy? Please don't fight! I don't have the energy to break you guys up right now!” Hunk called but Lance kept going. He pulled a less resistant Keith then he thought he would be into the nearest lift and closed the doors.

“Lance, what the fuck are you doing?”

Lance looked right back through the glare Keith had set on his face and he let go of the Red Paladin’s wrist. Keith was looking like he was about to hit him when Lance launched himself forward grabbed onto Keith's stupid red and white half jacket and pulled him into a crushing hug. He must have stunned the Red Paladin, because that stiff, alert, ready to fight back demeanor disappeared. “Thank you, Keith. I'm so sorry you didn't get to say good bye to your… I'm so sorry. Thank you.”

“You're… you're welcome.” Keith said with some confusion to his tone. He stood there as Lance hugged him. Let the Blue Paladin bury his face in his shoulder and said nothing as Lance sniffled. After Lance had his moment, he was about to let go when Keith grabbed a fistful of Lance’s jacket that Hunk had given him. Keith hugged him back and Lance hadn't realized how strong the smaller Paladin was, but he was glad for the strength behind those arms. Keith slid to the floor of the lift and Lance slipped down with him. He felt a gloved hand make hesitant passes along his back in an attempt to be comforting and Lance appreciated it. Eventually, Lance rolled to the left and ended up sitting next to Keith on the cold metal floor of the lift. They sat in silence as the doors opened and closed a few times, and eventually just stood open waiting on them to exit.

“You want to go see if Hunk is making something to eat?” Keith asked.

Lance nodded and he started to shimmy up the wall he was leaning up against when Keith beat him to standing and offered him a hand. Lance took it and pulled himself up with a grunt. “Thanks, man.” Lance said, but Keith hushed him.

“Don't mention it.”

"Secrets safe with me, but we keep meeting like this people are going to talk."

"What the hell are you talking about? You dragged me out of the room like you were going to either kill me or-"

"Kiss you?" Lance smirked,"Did you think I was going to kiss you Keith? I still can." 

"You touch me, I'll throw you out a airlock."

"Oh, Bangs. You do care."

"I swear, Lance."


End file.
